Australia Joins Quad For Malabar 2025
Australia has joined India, Japan and the United States for Exercise Malabar 2025, one of the Indo-Pacific’s most significant annual naval drills aimed at strengthening coordination among the four Quad nations. The exercise, being held from November 10 to 18 in waters around Guam in the Western Pacific, brings together advanced warships, submarines, surveillance aircraft and maritime-specialist teams from all four countries. Officials described the drill as a crucial step toward enhancing joint operational readiness at a time of increasing strategic competition in the region.
This year’s Malabar features an expanded sea phase, including complex anti-submarine warfare operations, ship-to-ship replenishment, precision air-defence exercises and coordinated fleet manoeuvres designed to test interoperability in high-pressure maritime environments. The Royal Australian Navy has deployed a frontline frigate to participate in the exercise and emphasised that close cooperation with Quad partners is essential for maintaining a stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific. The Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy have all sent advanced assets, underscoring the scale of the engagement.
Analysts say the continued participation of all four nations reflects the Quad’s evolution into a more cohesive security platform, even though it remains an informal grouping. The exercise also comes at a time when regional flashpoints, including tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, have pushed major democracies to strengthen maritime partnerships. Military planners view Malabar as both a deterrent and a confidence-building mechanism, signalling the Quad’s commitment to free navigation and collective security cooperation.
