Malabar Exercise
#GS-02 International Relations
For Prelims:
About Malabar exercise:
- Malabar is a multilateral war-gaming naval exercise which began as bilateral navel exercise between US and India in 1992.
- The second exercise was conducted in 1995 and next one in 1996.
- After 1996 they were on hiatus due to Pokharn II and resumed in 2002.
- Japan and Australia first participated in 2007, and since 2014, India, the US and Japan have participated in the exercise every year.
- This year marks 30 years of the Malabar Exercise and will be hosted by Japan.
About QUAD:
- It is the grouping of four democracies i.e., India, Australia, the US, and Japan.
- It aims to create and sustain a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
- India, Australia, the US and Japan, came together and formed this “quadrilateral” coalition in the year 2017.
- While QUAD is aimed at improving the maritime security of the region, all the member countries have repeatedly confirmed that it is not a military alliance nor an equivalent to NATO.
For Mains:
Significance of QUAD and Malabar:
- These groupings are primarily aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region.
- They act as net security provider to the region and help in preventing Chinese military build-up in the Indo Pacific region.
- All the member countries are pro democratic nations and are well known for protecting Human Rights.
- This helps in public view since China is seen as an authoritarian regime with abysmal records in Human Rights.
- USA is the worlds largest economy while Japan is the third and India, the fifth. Hence the QUAD represents a significant economic power block.
- USA is India’s largest trading partner, while Japan is one the major investors in Indian developmental projects and Australia is a major supplier of both agricultural products as well as minerals. Hence a closer relationship with these nations will have a positive impact on the Indian economy.
