The Indian Navy’s participation in the four-nation Malabar drills is mainly meant to address “non-kinetic” and “non-warfare” challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. It isn't directed at any country, including China, Indian military veteran Major General Shashi Bhushan Asthana told Sputnik.
Asthana explained that these challenges involve supply chain disruptions and response to natural disasters in the region.
He said the Indian, US, Australian, and Japanese navies would also look to increase their interoperability in order to address these issues through the Malabar drills.
The expert underlined that the goals of India’s involvement in the four-nation drills may have evolved over the last couple of years, which he attributed to reduced tensions between India and China at the Ladakh border.
“The issue of de-escalation between the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army at the Ladakh border is definitely connected to how New Delhi decides to engage with other partners such as Japan, Australia and the US in the Indo-Pacific region,” Asthana reckoned.
The major general noted that the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops from the last remaining friction point of Gogra-Hot Springs in September was marked some progress in resolving the Ladakh border dispute.
But he added that a “de-escalation” of the situation was yet to be achieved, as over 50,000 troops from both the sides are still engaged in a tense standoff in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector.
“The disengagement of troops has decreased the risk of an accidental trigger at the border. But the border situation could remain tense till de-escalation is achieved,” he said.
A press release by the Indian Navy last week said that two Indian warships, the Shivalik and the Kamorta, are taking part in the current iteration of the Malabar drills.
In 2021, four Indian warships, a P-8I long range surveillance aircraft, and a submarine participated in the naval drills, which took place in two phases—the first in August in the Philippine Sea, and the second in October in the Bay of Bengal.
In contrast, the Indian Navy fielded its aircraft carrier the INS Vikramaditya in the 2020 and previous iterations of the Malabar drills.
Asthana said that New Delhi could always look to again step up its engagement in the exercises. He noted that New Delhi has already inked a mutual defense logistics pact with other Malabar participants, which could act as a “stepping stone” for New Delhi if it wishes to do so.
“At present, the main difference between India and other regional countries (Japan and Australia) is that New Delhi is not part of any US-led security alliance."
While the US and Japan are bound by the 1960s-era Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, Australia is part of the US-led AUKUS alliance (also involving the UK) as well as the ANZUS Treaty (which involves New Zealand).
“As far as India is concerned, its involvement in the Malabar drills isn’t directed at China or any other nation. At best, New Delhi’s involvement serves as an indirect warning to Beijing that India is capable of carrying out military posturing along with other partners in case of tensions,” Asthana said.
India Not Part of US-Led Security Front Against China, Says Ex-Diplomat
Former Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad said that the sudden announcement of the trilateral AUKUS pact between the US, UK, and Australia in August 2021 was a sure shot signal that India wasn’t part of the US-led security front against Beijing.
Ahmad reckoned that the Quad grouping ceased to exist in its security dimension after the Ladakh standoff erupted in May 2020.
He said there has been a growing realization in the Narendra Modi government that New Delhi’s real security interests lie at the Sino-India border rather than in the South China Sea or the East China Sea.
“Quad reinvented itself at the first in-person summit at White House in September 2021 as it became a platform primarily focused on cooperation in climate change, vaccine development and supply chain resilience. In its security parameter, the Quad no longer existed,” Ahmad said.
The Quad was officially launched in 2007, but was suspended in 2008 after Australia pulled out of the US-led grouping over concerns expressed by China. The grouping was revived in 2017.
It was only in 2020 that the Malabar drills became a four-nation affair after the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) participated in the drills.