Four navies begin Exercise Malabar with India’s Sahyadri in Japan

The navies of India, Japan, Australia and the United States began the 2026 edition of Exercise Malabar, with the start reported on 6 November 2026. The Indian Navy sent INS Sahyadri, a domestically built guided missile stealth frigate from the Eastern Fleet. It reached Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan on 4 November 2026. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force received the vessel on arrival.

The exercise is organised around harbour and sea activities. In harbour, participants hold professional discussions and plan their operations together. The sea phase brings the Indian frigate and participating units from the other three navies together for training. The objective is to improve coordination and the ability of different navies to operate together, while giving personnel a chance to share experience. Yokosuka is the arrival location of the Indian ship for this edition.

Facts to remember

• Participating countries: India, Japan, Australia and the United States.
• Indian participant: INS Sahyadri, a guided missile stealth frigate of the Eastern Fleet.
• The frigate arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, on 4 November 2026.
• The exercise has harbour and sea activities; its commencement was reported on 6 November 2026.

Background

Malabar started in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the United States. Japan joined the exercise in 2015. Australia took part in the 2020 edition, which brought together all four participating navies. That history explains why the name Malabar may appear in questions about both the original bilateral drill and the current multilateral format.

Why it matters for exams

For CLAT International Relations, revise Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation and match Exercise Malabar with its original and current participants.