Multilateral Naval Exercise Malabar 2023

Current Context: The Malabar 2023 exercise will be held from August 11 to 21 at Sydney, Australia. It is a multilateral naval exercise involving the navies of the Quad countries, namely India, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

• The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, sea deterrence, and sea denial in order to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The Indian Navy will be represented by two indigenous frontline warships, INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata, which are equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors. The exercise will consist of two phases: a harbour phase and a sea phase.
• The harbour phase will involve cross-deck visits, professional exchanges, sports fixtures, and planning for the sea phase.
• The Malabar exercise is a significant demonstration of the Quad’s commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. It also provides an opportunity for the participating navies to learn from each other’s best practices and enhance their maritime security capabilities.

Question:

Q.1 What are the names of the two Indian warships that will represent the Indian Navy in the Malabar 2023 exercise?
a. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant
b. INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata
c. INS Shivalik and INS Talwar
d. INS Arihant and INS Chakra