Visakhapatnam, India. (December 2, 2024): Some of the best warfighters in the world mixed it up this week during a training exercise hosted by the Indian Navy. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Alex Perlman (portions of which have been blurred for security reasons), U.S. Naval Special Warfare operators and Indian Marine Commando Force members conduct close quarters combat training during Malabar 2024 . This is the twenty fourth year of exercises involving the United States and India and they often include friendly allies.

This year, Japan and Australia are contributing their forces to the event. The Japanese are sending the destroyer JS Ariake and a contingent from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Aussies are contributing the Navy frigate HMAS Stuart and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Americans are adding a P-8 Poseidon aircraft assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Deweya and the Indian hosts are contributing the destroyer INS Delhi as well as at least four other surface combatants and aircraft.

Participants exercised critical skills including beach insertions, close quarter combat, and tactical casualty care. Each nation engaged in realistic scenarios involving maritime interdiction tactics and practiced Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure techniques. Most important, all four nations got the chance to work together in fast-paced, complex, and often chaotic situations.

These maneuvers are likely to expand to combat growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.