The Australian, US, Japanese and Indian navies have started joint military exercises

The navies of Australia, Japan, India and the United States began joint military exercises off the coast of Sydney on Friday. This is the first time that Australia has hosted the Malabar Process.

During the military exercises, which will continue until August 21, on the eastern coast of Australia, including Sydney Bay, the capabilities of sea and air defense will be exercised, and about two thousand people will participate in the operation. In addition, guided missile destroyers, F-35A stealth aircraft and P-8A patrol aircraft will also be deployed, there will be live fire, and joint communications will also be coordinated, the Australian Ministry of Defense announced.

The naval leaders of the four countries on Thursday called on all countries active in the Indo-Pacific region to respect the international legal order. At the same time, Carl Thomas, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, assured reporters that the military exercises are not directed against any other country, rather the participants only wish to deepen joint defense cooperation. This year marks the 27th edition of Exercise Malabar, which began in 1992 and was originally a bilateral operation between the United States and India.

(MTI/featured image: MTI/EPA/Yonhap/South Korean Navy)