The Indian Navy’s indigenous guided‑missile stealth frigate INS Sahyadri departed from Yokosuka Naval Base on 12 November 2026, after the successful completion of Malabar 2026.
Navies of India, Japan, the United States and Australia participated jointly in the exercise.
Key phases of the exercise
During the ‘port phase’ the navies of the four countries organised professional activities, sports and cultural programmes.
The ‘sea phase’ included anti‑submarine warfare drills, vessel boarding and seizure (VBS) exercises, maritime interdiction operations, gun‑fire drills, supply of material and logistics at sea and helicopter landing drills.
Cooperation and coordination
These activities gave the participating navies an opportunity to improve mutual coordination, operational synchronisation and a better understanding of each other’s methods.
The successful conclusion of the exercise reaffirmed the shared commitment of the participating navies to maritime cooperation and collective security in the Indo‑Pacific region.