The standardization and homework paid off. The clockwork precision with which the war games went off even managed to surprise Indian naval officers who have witnessed many bilateral exercises in the past.

“The smoothness of operations was incredible. We understand each other’s way of communication and to some extend have got an insight to the thinking each side does,” an Indian Navy Officer, who had earlier participated in the 2005 Malabar exercises said.

Interoperability apart, for the Indian Navy that is in the threshold of becoming a maritime force to reckon with, the opportunity to learn and compete with the sole superpower in the world was in the words of an officer “priceless.”

Multi-Carrier operations for instance, is something that the navy needs to work on before the induction of its two new aircraft carriers in the next seven years. “(The main skill set gained is) Multi carrier operations. Three carriers operating at the same time is something we are not used to yet,” says Vice Admiral RP Suthan, commander in chief of the eastern command.

Moreover, with China starting the construction of its indigenous aircraft carrier this year, it helped to practise pitching two carriers against each other during the exercise to hone air defence skills.

The opportunity to track and ‘destroy’ a nuclear submarine (USS Chicago) during Malabar gave the Indian Navy — more attuned to Soviet philosophy gained by the operation of a Russian nuke sub in the late 1980s — a rare close look into the tactics adopted by Western countries.

... contd.