Guam Hosts U.S., Allied Navies for Indo-Pacific Exercises

Dzirhan Mahadzir – November 28, 2025 12:25 PM

Guam recently hosted U.S., Japanese, Indian, Australian and South Korean navies for multilateral exercises, including anti-submarine warfare and advanced maneuvering scenarios.

The 29th iteration of Quad Exercise Malabar saw Royal Australian Navy (RAN) frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH155), Indian Navy frigate INS Sahyadri (F49), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH-181) and a JMSDF P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) drilling alongside U.S. destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), a P-8A Poseidon MPA, a U.S. submarine and an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit.

Malabar 2025, which spanned Nov. 10-18, involving advanced maneuvering scenarios, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, information sharing, maritime operations, and various subject matter expert exchanges to improve overall interoperability between allied forces, according to a U.S. Navy news release.

The Malabar exercise began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the United States and India. The exercise has since evolved in scope and complexity and now includes Japan and Australia.

“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who planned and participated in Malabar 2025, especially our hosts in Guam,” Capt. Dave Huljack, commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, said in the news release. “Over the past week, I have seen tremendous growth from our combined forces as they’ve been working side-by-side, learning from one another, and developing those person-to-person relationships.”

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force news release said that through the exercise, the force improved its tactical capabilities and strengthened cooperation with the participating navies and air force.

“The close cooperation between our four nations sharing fundamental values such as the rule of law is essential for realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” reads the Japanese news release.

Guam is also hosting exercise Silent Shark 2025, a biennial monthlong U.S. Navy-Republic of Korea Navy submarine warfare exercise. ROKN attack submarine ROKS Ahn Mu (SS-085) arrived Nov. 17 in Guam to begin exercise Silent Shark 2025. The ROKN also deployed two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft for the drills while the U.S. deployed a submarine and a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft.

“During the training period, the ROK-U.S. navies plan to strengthen its combined maritime defense posture through realistic anti-submarine training, including submarine tracking and attack drills, free-range combat and air-to-submarine warfare,” reads an ROKN news release.

From Nov. 17-20, the U.S. Navy and ROKN conducted a Maritime Counter Special Operations Forces Exercise (MCSOFEX) in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and its surrounding waters. The drills included four days of enhanced bilateral training focused on naval interoperability and collaboration to address shared maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, according to a U.S. Navy news release.

“MCSOFEX is just a part of our continuous exercises with our ROK counterparts,” Huljack said in the release. “Through exercises like MCSOFEX, Freedom Edge, Ulchi Freedom Shield, and numerous others, we continue to enhance our shared interoperability between the U.S. and ROK navies and our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

During MCSOFEX, participating units conducted a wide range of training activities at sea and ashore, including in-port academics, a pre-sail conference, liaison officer exchanges, anti-submarine warfare training, anti-air warfare training, joint maritime interdiction operations and dynamic formation sailing.

Participating U.S. assets were destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105), one MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, a P-8A Poseidon MPA and two U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopters. South Korea deployed destroyers ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG-993) and ROKS Wang Geon (DDG-978), frigate ROKS Daejeon (FFG-823), an ROKN patrol craft, a Korea Coast Guard ship along with 26 aircraft including ROKN P-3 MPAs and AW-159 maritime operation helicopters, and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) FA-50 and KF-16 fighter jets.

Japan also recently participated on Nov. 14 in a Japan-Australia-Canada-New Zealand exercise in the East China Sea. Destroyer JS Maya (DDG-179) and fleet oiler JS Hamana (AOE-424) sailed alongside RAN destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG41), Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) offshore patrol vessel HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV432) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) fleet oiler HMNZS Aotearoa (A11). The ships conducted tactical and replenishment-at-sea exercises.

“Australia, Canada and New Zealand are our strategic partners sharing fundamental values. Toward a common goal of maintaining and strengthening the rules-based international order, Japan and these countries have collaborated through various opportunities such as surveillance operations against illegal maritime activities including illegal ship to ship transfer of goods by North Korea-related vessels,” reads the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force news release.

Both Max Bernays and Aotearoa were conducting surveillance operations on North Korean sanctions evasion prior to the drills. From Nov. 15-17, Maya and Max Bernays subsequently carried out bilateral exercise KAEDEX 25 from the East China Sea to the south of Kanto region, which saw the two ships drill on anti-air warfare and maneuvering.

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.

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