Malabar Naval Exercise Concludes                       

• The 11-day Malabar naval exercise featuring the navies of India, Australia, Japan and the US concluded on Monday. The 27^th edition of the exercise, which took place on the East Coast of Australia, witnessed complex and high intensity drills in air, surface and undersea domains, officials said.
• Warships, submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force and the US Navy participated in the exercise.
• The Indian Navy was represented by indigenously built destroyer INS Kolkata, frigate INS Sahyadri and P8I maritime patrol aircraft.

Australia’s Biggest Warship Deployed In Philippine Drills                           

• On board the HMAS Canberra, Philippines, Aug 21, 2023 -Australia’s largest warship took part in joint drills with the Philippines and the United States in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, as they seek to strengthen defence ties in the face of China’s growing military presence.
• China deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise reefs in the contested waters, which it claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.
• HMAS Canberra is one of several ships involved in Exercise Alon in the Philippines, which is being held for the first time as part of Australia’s annual Indo-Pacific Endeavour activity. Alon is Tagalog for “wave”.
• “Like the Philippines, Australia wants a peaceful, stable and prosperous region which respects sovereignty and which is guided by rules-based order,” Hae Kyong Yu, Australia’s ambassador to Manila, said at Tarumpitao Point Airfield.

Russian Air Defence Down Ukrainian Drone Over Belgorod Region      

• Russia’s Defence Ministry said that two Ukrainian drones shot down over the Belgorod region, TASS reported.
• The ministry said: “The UAVs lost control and crashed over the waters of the Black Sea 40 km (about 25 miles) northwest of the Crimean Peninsula,”
• Meanwhile, five people were injured after a Ukrainian drone crashed into the rooftop of a railway station in Russia’s Kursk, Russian state-owned TASS News Agency reported on Sunday citing Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit.

IAF Conducts Trials Of Heavy Drop System For Defence Forces                  

• The Indian Air Force recently conducted successful trials of the Heavy Drop System, from a cargo aircraft, IAF officials said on Saturday. According to officials, the Heavy Drop system is designed and developed by a laboratory of the DRDO.
• “The trial of the system has been completed in partnership with Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment towards achieving self-reliance in the military sector,” IAF officials said.
• Heavy drop systems are used by para-dropping vehicles or heavy loads during operations along with troops in forward areas.
• The DRDO lab based out of Agra is tasked to develop such systems for the defence forces.

“Greece is one of India’s important European partners…” Foreign Secretary Kwatra

• Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that Greece is one of the most important European partners of India and pointed out Athens has been a supporter of New Delhi’s United Nations Security Council’s permanent membership.
• In the special briefing ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to South Africa and Greece, Kwatra said, “Greece is one of India’s important European partners it is the member of the EU, NATO and the gateway to Europe and also to the EU market. Greece enjoys a privileged position after the crossroad of Asia, Europe and Africa.”
• PM Modi will travel to Greece on August 25. During his visit, he will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discuss ways to further deepen the ties between the two nations.