Indo-US to hold naval war games in Bay of Bengal in April

NEW DELHI: Navies of India and US will engage in Malabar series of war games in the Bay of Bengal in April.

This will be only the second time in the last over 10 years that India is holding these war games on its eastern seaboard in the Bay of Bengal after China protested against such an exercise in the same waters in 2007.

Both sides will field their major assets in the war games where they will carry out a wide spectrum of maritime manoeuvres, navy officials said here.

During the last exercise of the series in Bay of Bengal in September 2007, 25 vessels from India, the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore had participated.

After the event, China had reportedly expressed its displeasure over the development suspecting the grouping to be against it.

The Malabar series of war games began in 1992, and includes diverse activities, ranging from fighter aircraft combat operations from aircraft carriers to maritime interdiction exercises.

On several occasions, the US Navy has fielded its nuclear submarines and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at the exercise, which helped Indian sailors to gain valuable experience on them.