“High-end military exercises like MALABAR are key to enhancing Australia’s maritime capabilities, building interoperability with our close partners, and demonstrating our collective resolve to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Australia’s defence minister Linda Reynolds said.
In his first interaction with the media after assuming the office of Chief of Army Staff early this year, General Naravane had emphasised on implementation of theatre commands during his tenure.
US Defence Secretary Mark T Esper said that the partnership between India and the US would be most consequential partnership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region in this century. Mark Esper, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, would travel to New Delhi next week to participate in the India-US 2+2 ministerial between the two countries.
