Exercise Malabar concluded on November 18 after eight days of high-end anti-submarine and surface warfare, maritime interdiction, air defence and aviation exercises off the coast of Guam.
HMAS Ballarat worked closely with aircraft, ships and personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force, Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the United States Navy to strengthen multinational interoperability and enhance collective maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
Commanding Officer Ballarat Commander Dean Uren said Exercise Malabar was critically important training for the Australian Defence Force.
"Exercise Malabar has given us genuine insight into each other's tactics, procedures and approaches to maritime operations, allowing us to refine the way we operate together at sea," Commander Uren said.
"Activities like Malabar enable us to deepen our defence relationships, enhance our ability to work together and bring us closer as nations and as people.
"These relationships make us collectively stronger, more capable and better prepared to contribute to regional peace and security."
United States Navy Commander Destroyer Squadron 15 Commodore Dave Huljak described the Indo-Pacific as a region of increasing strategic importance, further amplifying the importance of working closely with like-minded nations.
"We find ourselves in a pivotal time, in a pivotal part of the world. I'm convinced that our work together will help define the following years to come in the Indo-Pacific," Commodore Huljak said.
'Activities like Malabar enable us to deepen our defence relationships, enhance our ability to work together, and bring us closer as nations and as people.'
Commodore Huljak said the exercise underscored the shared commitment of all four nations to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.
"Being forward deployed, I am reminded by the fact the sea connects us all," he said.
"And at the heart of that connection are the people-to-people ties that you only create by being here together. They serve as a foundation based on mutual trust, cooperation and respect.
"During this exercise, I have seen tremendous growth from our combined forces working side-by-side, learning from one another and developing those person-to-person relationships."
The four nations came together for a closing ceremony on board Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga, before proceeding back to sea on their respective missions across the Indo-Pacific.
Conducted annually, Exercise Malabar was established as a bilateral training activity between India and the United States in 1992 - Australia and Japan first participated in 2007.
This was the 29th iteration of Exercise Malabar and the sixth time all four nations of the Indo-Pacific Quad participated in the exercise exclusively together.
