3-nation Malabar naval drill starts

New Delhi: As the three-nation Malabar naval exercise got underway in India’s eastern seaboard on Monday, Chinese warships and a supply ship are sailing to take part in the “Joint Sea 2017” Sino-Russian military exercise in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad slated for later this month, underscoring closer Sino-Russian ties.

According to Chinese media reports, very recently, People Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) destroyer Hefei, frigate Yuncheng and a supply ship Luomahu were refuelled by another supply ship Gaoyouhu near the Gulf of Aden, while they were en-route to the Baltic Sea via the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean before sailing north to the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is one of the regions where the United States-led Nato countries are facing an increasingly assertive Russian Navy.

While the two countries have been exercising toge-ther for “Joint Sea” since 2012, China, in 2016, invited Russia for the naval wargames in the troubled waters of the South China Sea — the first time China involved a second country in the region.

Meanwhile, in the latest edition of Malabar-17, the navies of India, US and Japan are together fielding 16 ships, two submarines and more than 95 aircraft. Besides the primary aim to “increase interoperability amongst the three navies as well as develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations”, the thrust of Malabar 17 would be on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), aircraft carrier operations, and joint manoeuvres among other procedures.

The first phase or harbour phase will be held at Chennai from July 10-13, a “diverse range of operational activities” at sea will take place during the sea phase from July 14-17.

The exercise will also witness a separate interaction between Indian and US navies’ special forces and explosive disposal teams.

This newspaper had earlier reported that PLAN has activated plans for a close monitoring of the exercise with its high tech “Neptune” (also known as Haiwangxing), reconnaissance ship and a ‘Yuan’ class submarine besides the military satellites in the sky. The ‘Chongming Island’ submarine rescue ship is also likely to be present in the region during the time of the exercise.

Malabar-17 is taking place amid seething tension between India and China with troops of both the countries engaged in a standoff in a tri-junction near the Chumba Valley across Sikkim where the boundaries of China, India and Bhutan crisscross.

PARTICIPATING ASSETS

India: Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, guided missile destroyer Ranvir, indigenous stealth frigates Shivalik and Sahyadri, indigenous ASW corvette Kamorta, missile corvettes Kora and Kirpan, a Sindhughosh class submarine, fleet tanker INS Jyoti and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I.

US: Aircraft carrier Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class cruiser Princeton, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Kidd, Howard and Shoup along with integral helicopters, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine and one Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8A.

Japan: Helicopter carrier Izumo and Sazanami, a missile destroyer.