Malabar Naval Exercise Begins in Bay of Bengal
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exercise ever held in the Bay of Bengal began Sept. 4.
Malabar 07-02 takes place through Sept. 9 near the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, which house India's tricommand. From its military base there,
India also monitors Chinese military activities in Myanmar's Coco
Islands.
India's leftist parties have charged that the exercise is part of a
U.S. strategic design that seeks to involve India, but Defence
Minister A.K. Antony said military strategy is not the aim of the
Malabar exercise, which includes the navies of India, Australia,
Japan, Singapore and the United States.
The exercises will be held between the port city of Vishakhapatnam on
India's eastern coast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Top leftist
political leaders will converge on Vishakhapatnam on Sept. 9, the
final day of the war games, spearheading their campaign of protests.
The exercise involves 26 warships, including three aircraft carriers,
destroyers, frigates and submarines, and hundreds of military
aircraft. Besides the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, India is fielding
maritime Jaguar and Sea Harrier fighters, Tu-142 surveillance planes,
Delhi- and Kashin-class destroyers, Godavari- and Brahmaputra-class
guided missile frigates, and a German-built submarine. The U.S. Navy
is sending its USS Nimitz and USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carriers.
Indian Defence Ministry officials say the exercises will focus on anti-
piracy, anti-marine terrorism, air defense, surveillance and
interception.