Phase II: Malabar 2020 Naval exercise underway in Arabian Sea

India, US, Australia and Japan kicked off the second phase of the Malabar exercise 2020 in the Northern Arabian Sea with the participation of aircraft carriers, warships and submarines. Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz are center of attraction. However, Australian Navy's warship HMAS Ballarat and Japan's destroyer JS Murasame also sought the attention. The second phase of the exercise will be conducted in the Northern Arabian Sea till November 20. "Taking forward the synergy achieved in the recently concluded Phase 1 of Exercise Malabar 2020, which was conducted in the Bay of Bengal November from 03 to 06, this phase will involve coordinated operations of increasing complexity between the navies of Australia, India, Japan and the United States," an official release on Monday. "Phase 2 of Exercise Malabar 2020 will witness joint operations, centred around the Vikramaditya Carrier Battle Group of the Indian Navy and Nimitz Carrier Strike Group of the US Navy. The two carriers, along with other ships, submarine and aircraft of the participating navies, would be engaged in high-intensity naval operations over four days," the release added.