Quad Navies Begin Malabar Exercise Off Japan
The United States, Japan, Australia and India started joint naval drills in waters off the Kanto region near Tokyo.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military
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The United States, Japan, Australia and India began the joint Malabar naval exercise in waters off the Kanto region surrounding Tokyo. The training runs through November 12 and includes responses to submarines and surface fleets.
Why it matters
The four nations aim to strengthen ties through the joint training, which has grown from a U.S.-India bilateral effort into a multilateral drill. Japan's participation reflects the exercise's expansion across Indo-Pacific partners.
The exercise is scheduled to run through November 12, and Japan has participated since 2007, when the Maritime Self-Defense Force joined a drill first launched in 1992 by the U.S. and Indian navies. Participating vessels include Japan's Mogami frigate, a U.S. amphibious transport dock ship, and frigates from India and Australia.
The players
Malabar Exercise
A recurring multinational naval drill that began in 1992 as a bilateral U.S.-India exercise and has since expanded to include Japan and Australia among the Quad nations.
The details
The opening ceremony was held aboard the helicopter carrier Ise, anchored at Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, with around 200 people from the four countries in attendance. The drills include training responses to submarines and surface fleets.
Timeline
1992: The Malabar exercise began as a U.S.-India bilateral initiative.
2007: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force joined the Malabar exercise.
November 5, 2026: The four nations began the joint Malabar exercise off the Kanto region.
November 12, 2026: The joint exercise is scheduled to conclude.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 drill extends the original 1992 U.S.-India Malabar exercise into a four-nation format, with Japan's participation dating to 2007. It reflects the broader Indo-Pacific security framework among Quad partners.
The drill concludes on November 12 and does not alter immediate shipping routes or public access in the stub. Readers tracking Indo-Pacific defense cooperation can follow the exercise's end date as the next observable milestone.
The takeaway
Multinational naval drills like Malabar show how bilateral partnerships can widen into coalitions over time. Tracking the exercise's annual schedule offers a clear view of evolving regional alignments.
What happens next
The joint Malabar exercise is scheduled to conclude on November 12, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more on Military developments shaping naval alliances in the Indo-Pacific.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kyodo News+.
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