The Royal Australian Navy will be joining regional partners India, Japan and the United States for another edition of exercise Malabar, which is taking place off Guam this year.
The confirmation of the repeated participation comes after Australia returned to the multinational maneuver in 2020 after a 13-year hiatus.
Anzac-class frigate HMAS Warramunga will join ships and aircraft from participating nations for the high-end military exercise off the coast of Guam in the Indo-Pacific.
Indian Navy frigate INS Shivalik and corvette INS Kadmatt are already in Guam ahead of the exercise.
This year’s exercise Malabar will see the four nations’ forces conduct a range of maritime operations involving live firings and anti-submarine warfare operations. The drill starts August 26 and runs through August 29.
Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, said Australia’s participation in the multilateral Exercise MALABAR 2021 would strengthen our collective ability to contribute to regional security.
“Australia is committed to working closely with our partners to address shared regional challenges, including in the maritime domain,” Vice Admiral Noonan said.
“Our forces’ participation in exercise Malabar 2021 will enhance the region’s maritime interoperability and is a key cooperative activity between us.
“We regularly work with India, Japan and the United States to build our professional relationships and strengthen the foundations for an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific,” he said.
