NEW DELHI, Oct 4: The week-long fifth Indo-US joint naval exercises — Malabar 2003 — would begin on Sunday in the Arabian Sea off Kochi with US nuclear-powered submarine participating in the exercise.

The American ships taking part in the exercises include two front-line US warships USS Chosin and USS Fitzgerald, Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine USS Pasadena, two P3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and a product tanker, according to a naval press release, issued on Saturday.

The Indian navy is matching the US participation by fielding two guided missile frigates,

INS Brahmaputra and INS Ganga, a submarine INS Shalki along with a tanker INS Shakti and a variety of integral and shore-based aircraft.—APP