INS Sahyadri Joins Malabar 2025 Naval Exercise in Guam

The multilateral exercise Malabar-2025 has begun in Guam in the North Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Navy ship INS Sahyadri has arrived in Guam to participate in this multilateral exercise.

The Indian Navy ship INS Sahyadri is in Guam in the North Pacific Ocean to participate in the multilateral exercise Malabar-2025. Meanwhile, the maritime phase of the military exercise ‘Malabar 2024’ was held in Visakhapatnam.

Navies of India, Australia, Japan, and the United States are participating in this exercise. India, the United States, Japan, and Australia collectively represent the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) nations committed to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

The harbour phase of Exercise Malabar-2025 will include operational planning and discussions, alignment on communication protocols, introductory visits, and sporting events among participating nations.

Under the sea phase, ships and aircraft will participate in naval drills focusing on joint fleet operations, anti-submarine warfare, gunnery sequences, and flight operations.

INS Sahyadri

It is a guided missile stealth frigate, indigenously designed and built. INS Sahyadri (F49) is the third and latest ship in the indigenously built Shivalik-class stealth frigates and is part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet.

The name INS Sahyadri is derived from the beautiful, ancient western coastal range of India extending for 1600 kilometres, also known as the Sahyadri mountain range.

About Exercise Malabar:

It was started in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the United States. Japan joined this naval exercise in 2015. In 2020, the Australian Navy also joined the Malabar naval exercise.

Quad: The Quad, known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ (QSD), is an informal strategic forum comprising four countries — the United States, India, Australia, and Japan.

The first meeting of this group was held in 2007 during the ASEAN Summit.

Quad leaders launched a regional maritime initiative (MAITRI) for training in the Indo-Pacific region to maximize the use of tools made available through the Indo-Pacific partnership for maritime domain awareness (MAITRI).

Other military multinational exercises:

La Perouse: India, Australia, the United States, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

SALVEX: India and the United States

Sea Dragon: India, the United States, Japan, Canada, and South Korea

Veer Guardian: Air exercise between India and Japan

Exercise Kakadu: Biennial exercise among Malabar countries (organized by the Royal Australian Navy).

Guam

Guam, a U.S. territory located in the Pacific Ocean, is strategically important due to its proximity to East Asia and contested waters like the South China Sea.

The capital of Guam is Hagåtña, and the most populous village is Dededo. In Oceania, Guam is the largest and southernmost island of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia.

The Chamorro are its largest ethnic group but a minority on this multi-ethnic island. The native Guamanians are Chamorro, related to the Austronesian peoples of the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Polynesia.

Since the 1960s, Guam’s economy has been primarily supported by tourism and the U.S. military, for which Guam serves as a major strategic asset.