India, US to hold Malabar exercise this year

NEW DELHI: India and the United States will hold naval war games under the Malabar series of exercises in the Indian waters this year.

The navies of the two countries have been holding these exercises since the 1990s and their frequency has increased after 2004.

This year, the two navies will hold naval war games in the Indian waters and the dates will be finalised soon, officials in the Defence Ministry said.

These exercises will be bilateral, they said. India includes Japan in the exercise when the war-games are held by New Delhi and Washington near Japanese territory close to the American naval bases there.

The US had suspended these exercises after India tested nuclear weapons. Washington later renewed military contacts following the September 11 attacks when New Delhi joined then US President George W Bush's campaign against terrorism.