Australia, India, Japan, and the United States have completed "Exercise Malabar", a multilateral maritime activity held from November 10 to 18, 2025. The drills took place in Guam and the West Pacific training area.
The Royal Australian Navy deployed the Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat, accompanied by a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Other participating vessels included the Indian Navy’s INS Sahyadri, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Hyuga, and the US Navy’s USS Fitzgerald.
The exercise featured complex drills focusing on anti-submarine and surface warfare, maritime interdiction, and aviation operations. The activity is conducted annually to deepen interoperability among the four nations comprising the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership, the Royal Australian Navy remarked in a statement.
Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Australia's Chief of Joint Operations, stated, “Through complex drills in anti-submarine and surface warfare, maritime interdiction and aviation operations, participating nations build the trust, interoperability and readiness needed to respond to our collective security challenges.”
Captain Dave Huljack, Commodore of US Destroyer Squadron 15, added, “We cannot overstate the importance of preserving maritime security in the national commons – the work of our combined forces over the decades has directly contributed to our ability to maintain a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
Exercise Malabar was established in 1992 as a bilateral training activity between India and the United States. This year marks the fifth time the four Quad nations have participated exclusively together.
