Naval ships, aircrafts and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in the 10-day long Malabar exercise beginning today.<br/><br/>The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. Malabar 2017 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.<br/><br/>India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Japan's largest warship JS Izumo and super-carrier Nimitz of the United States will be part of the exercise. A number of other frontline ships, submarines and fighter jets of the three countries will be part of the drill.<br/><br/>While ashore in Chennai, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol, surface and anti-submarine warfare, damage control and explosive ordnance disposal.<br/><br/>The at-sea portions will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal and are designed to advance participating nations' military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment. Indian, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces have a common understanding and knowledge of a shared working environment at sea.<br/><br/>The exercise is one of the biggest exercises conducted in the Indian Ocean Region.