India, US, Japan, Australia unite for high-stakes Malabar 2025 drill in Guam

This year marks the 29th iteration of the Malabar exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the United States and India.

"The exercise has since evolved in scope and complexity and now includes Japan and Australia," read a statement issued by the Commander, US 7th Fleet.

This marks the sixth time that all four nations have participated in Malabar to advance the collective planning, integration and employment of advanced warfare tactics across participating nations.

“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who planned and participated in Malabar 2025, especially our hosts in Guam,” said Capt. Dave Huljack, commodore of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. “And a special thank you to our Australian, Indian, and Japanese friends. Over the past week, I have seen tremendous growth from our combined forces as they’ve been working side-by-side, learning from one another, and developing those person-to-person relationships. Your support and professionalism throughout this exercise were fully apparent and appreciated. Thank you.”

The cooperative exercise united service members from four Indo-Pacific nations, enhancing their skills in advanced maneuvering scenarios, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, information sharing, maritime operations, and various subject matter expert exchanges to improve overall interoperability between the forces.

Participants included Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155), Indian Navy Shivalik-class guided-missile stealth frigate INS Sahyadri (F 49), and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Hyūga (DDH 181).

U.S. participation included a P-8A Poseidon aircraft assigned to Commander, Task Force 72, a U.S. submarine assigned to Commander, Task Force 74, an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit assigned to Commander, Task Force 75, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) operating under Commander, Task Force 70 and DESRON 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

Australian, Indian, Japanese, and U.S. maritime forces routinely operate together across the Indo-Pacific in support of regional security and stability.

The lead for this year's exercise was the United States. The Malabar planning and exercise lead rotates each year among participating nations, along with the exercise location to demonstrate the combined ability to exercise across the entire Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.