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The eighth of the series of Indo-US Naval Exercise MALABAR 05 will be conducted in the Arabian Sea from 25 Sep to 04 Oct 05, in which frontline ships from both navies will participate. From the US Navy, USS Nimitz, aircraft carrier (with FA-18 Super Hornet fighters and E2C Hawkeye Air Early Warning aircraft), two Aegis class destroyers, one Los Angeles class SSN and P3C Orion aircraft will participate. From the Indian Navy, INS Viraat, aircraft carrier (with Sea Harrier fighters and Sea King helicopters), Delhi Class guided missile destroyer, Godavari class guided missile frigate, Shishumar class submarine, underway replenishment tanker, TU 142M Long Range Maritime Patrol and anti-submarine aircraft, Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol aircraft and other multi-role helicopters are scheduled to take part in this exercise, which has become an annual fixture.
The cooperation between the US Navy and Indian Navy has moved apace with the relationship between the two countries in the recent years. Seven such exercises have been held so far. The process has been characterised by service-to-service interaction, high-level visits, joint exercises of increasing scope and complexity, and significant co-operation in the field of military training. The ongoing operational interaction between the navies of India and the USA stems from an institutionalised roll-on plan, which is determined and reviewed in successive meetings of the Executive Steering Group. This will be the first time that aircraft carriers from the two navies will participate in the Malabar series of exercises. The thrust of Exercise Malabar this year will be on aviation inter-operability, advanced anti-submarine warfare, sea control missions, fleet air defence, surface firings, maritime interdiction and VBSS (Visit Board Search and Seizure) operations towards anti-piracy and counter terrorism actions at sea. In order to streamline interoperability and derive maximum training value from such exercises, the two navies had evolved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which are regularly tested and updated during these bilateral exercises.
The constructive engagement between the Indian Navy and US Navy on issues such as counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, maritime interdiction, search and rescue etc. would be mutually beneficial and operationally relevant for both the navies. The sustained interaction over the years has enabled setting in place a strong foundation upon which a meaningful partnership continues to grow.
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