Canberra [Australia], November 12 (ANI): Australia on Wednesday joined India, Japan and the United States for the multilateral naval exercise, Exercise Malabar 2025, a major Indo-Pacific maritime drill aimed at strengthening interoperability and coordination among the four partner nations.

According to a statement issued by Australia's Ministry of Defence, the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are taking part in the exercise being held in the West Pacific training area from November 10 to 18. The Poseidon will operate from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the statement read.

Australia's Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, stated that the exercise highlights the importance of regional partnerships in the face of evolving security challenges.

'Through Exercise Malabar, Australia and partner nations are strengthening Indo-Pacific security by tackling shared challenges, coordinating collective strength and closing gaps in global engagement,' Vice Admiral Jones said.

'Through complex drills in anti-submarine warfare, air defence and replenishment at sea, participating nations build the trust, interoperability and readiness needed to respond to our collective security challenges,' he added.

First established as a bilateral India-US exercise in 1992, Exercise Malabar has since evolved into a key Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) maritime activity involving Australia, Japan, India and the United States. Australia hosted the 2023 edition of the exercise.

Though the Quad is not a military alliance, the exercise serves as a platform to strengthen maritime security and uphold freedom of navigation in the region.

Commander Dean Uren, Commanding Officer of HMAS Ballarat, said his crew looked forward to working alongside 'some of its most advanced and professional peers.'

'Our participation in Exercise Malabar forms part of our three-month Regional Presence Deployment from Australia and is a fantastic opportunity to enhance interoperability with key Indo-Pacific partners,' Uren said.

'Training alongside regional partners ensures our people and platforms are ready to respond to any challenge and deter coercion in the Indo-Pacific,' he added.

With a crew of 177 and an embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, HMAS Ballarat brings significant capability to the exercise. The frigate is equipped for air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance, and interdiction missions, and features advanced systems to counter threats from aircraft, surface vessels, and submarines, as per Australia's Ministry of Defence.

Earlier on Sunday, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri reached Guam for participation in the Exercise Malabar, the Ministry of Defence said.

Indigenously designed and constructed, INS Sahyadri is a Guided Missile Stealth Frigate. The ship is a shining example of the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision and has participated in several bilateral and multilateral exercises, as well as operational deployments.

The Harbour Phase of Exercise Malabar-2025 will feature operational planning and discussions, alignment on communication protocols, familiarisation visits between participating nations, and sports fixtures. Following the harbour phase, all participating units will proceed to the Sea Phase, wherein ships and aircraft will take part in naval drills, focusing on joint fleet operations, anti-submarine warfare, gunnery serials and flying operations. (ANI)