Post the Malabar exercise, which will get over by June 16, the INS Sayadri will sail further east to take part in the world’s largest military exercise — RIMPAC off the Hawaii islands.

Indian warships are steaming their way to Guam in the Pacific Ocean for the Malabar naval exercise with Japan and the US. Officers involved in the planning said that it will be the most complex of the series of war games that began 26 years ago.

Anti-submarine operations will be the focus of this year’s edition of Malabar — which is being conducted the furthermost from India since inception — with three Indian warships as well as the P-8I maritime aircraft taking part.

India will soon have another trilateral exercise closer home as well, with a decision taken to conduct joint, regular naval war games with Thailand and Singapore. A decision to conduct this new trilateral was taken during PM Modi’s recent visit to the region, but dates for the first edition are still to be finalised.

Malabar officers said that this year several new, complex features have been added, including joint air operations to track hostile submarines at sea. The exercise will see a US nuclear submarine and a Japanese nuclear submarine taking part as well. The Chinese Navy is expected to keep a keen watch over the exercise.

“The Navy will be represented by two indigenously designed and built ships — the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and anti-submarine warfare corvette, INS Kamorta, Fleet Tanker INS Shakti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I,” the Navy spokesperson said.

The US which has recently renamed its Hawaii-based deployment in the region as the Indo-Pacific Command — reflecting a growing role for India — will deploy the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier as well as Los Angeles class nuclear attack submarine. The Japanese self-defence forces will be represented by their largest warship, the JDS Ise helicopter carrier, as well as Soryu class submarine.

Post the Malabar exercise, which will get over by June 16, the INS Sayadri will sail further east to take part in the world’s largest military exercise — RIMPAC off the Hawaii islands.