India, US, Japan, Australia launch large naval drills

India, the United States, Japan, and Australia have launched joint naval exercises, the largest in more than a decade, Indian government sources say, amid US attempts to counter China’s influence in the region.

India’s Defense Ministry said five vessels of the Indian Navy, including a submarine, were deployed in the drill, which began in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, along with the US Navy’s John S McCain missile destroyer, Australia’s Ballarat frigate, and a Japanese destroyer.

“The exercise will showcase the high-levels of synergy and coordination between the friendly navies, which is based on their shared values and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order,” the ministry said in a statement.

Later this month, India and the US will deploy aircraft carriers in the exercises, according to a military source.

This year, Australia joined the annual “Malabar” war games, which were previously held by India, the US, and Japan, for the first time since 2007.

The drills come as the US attempts to create a formalized military alliance and a united front against China.

Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Japan, India, and Australia to team up with Washington to create such an alliance.

The United States routinely sends warships and warplanes to waters that regional countries dispute with China, claiming the deployments are meant to protect its right to “freedom of navigation.”

SS