NEW DELHI: India e Japan Friday will kick off a drill between their armies to hone their warfare skills and increase interoperability, which comes just after the two countries conducted their first joint air combat exercises last month with a steady eye to China.
The “Dharma Guardian” exercise at Camp Imazu in Japan’s Shiga province from February 17 to March 2 will focus on platoon-level operations in jungle, semi-urban and urban terrain.
“Dharma Guardian, which is being conducted for the fourth time, is crucial and significant in terms of the security challenges faced by both nations against the backdrop of the current global situation,” an official said on Thursday.
India has sent a contingent of the Garhwal Rifles regiment for the exercise, while Japan is deploying the Central Army of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force. “The exercise will enable the two armies to share best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures for conducting tactical operations under a UN mandate, as well as develop the interoperability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two forces” , he added.
The two contingents will engage in a variety of missions, ranging from joint planning, to tactical exercises, to the foundations for the creation of integrated surveillance networks, including the use of aerial assets.
India and Japan conducted the inaugural ‘Veer Guardian’ air combat exercise at Japan’s Hyakuri and Iruma airbases for 16 days last month.
IAF had participated with four Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, two C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlifters and one IL-78 mid-air refueling aircraft in the complex aerial maneuvers that simulated multiple operational scenarios both in visual warfare contexts and beyond the visual range.
India and Japan also regularly conduct the JIMEX series of exercises between their navies as part of their expanding strategic partnership. Since 2015, Japan has also been a regular participant in the first-rate naval combat exercise “Malabar” between India and the United States, which now also includes Australia. All these four “Quad” countries have openly declared their intention to discourage any “coercion” in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s expansionist behavior.
India and Japan have also operationalized their military agreement on mutual provision of supplies and services. India has such a mutual military logistics pact with countries like US, Australia, France, South Korea and Singapore.
In September last year, India and Japan conducted a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministers dialogue that underscored their pivotal role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The two countries had also agreed to strengthen their pact of maritime cooperation and military logistics, while broadening the scope of bilateral defense-industry collaboration to develop cutting-edge weapon systems.
The “Dharma Guardian” exercise at Camp Imazu in Japan’s Shiga province from February 17 to March 2 will focus on platoon-level operations in jungle, semi-urban and urban terrain.
“Dharma Guardian, which is being conducted for the fourth time, is crucial and significant in terms of the security challenges faced by both nations against the backdrop of the current global situation,” an official said on Thursday.
India has sent a contingent of the Garhwal Rifles regiment for the exercise, while Japan is deploying the Central Army of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force. “The exercise will enable the two armies to share best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures for conducting tactical operations under a UN mandate, as well as develop the interoperability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two forces” , he added.
The two contingents will engage in a variety of missions, ranging from joint planning, to tactical exercises, to the foundations for the creation of integrated surveillance networks, including the use of aerial assets.
India and Japan conducted the inaugural ‘Veer Guardian’ air combat exercise at Japan’s Hyakuri and Iruma airbases for 16 days last month.
IAF had participated with four Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, two C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlifters and one IL-78 mid-air refueling aircraft in the complex aerial maneuvers that simulated multiple operational scenarios both in visual warfare contexts and beyond the visual range.
India and Japan also regularly conduct the JIMEX series of exercises between their navies as part of their expanding strategic partnership. Since 2015, Japan has also been a regular participant in the first-rate naval combat exercise “Malabar” between India and the United States, which now also includes Australia. All these four “Quad” countries have openly declared their intention to discourage any “coercion” in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s expansionist behavior.
India and Japan have also operationalized their military agreement on mutual provision of supplies and services. India has such a mutual military logistics pact with countries like US, Australia, France, South Korea and Singapore.
In September last year, India and Japan conducted a two-plus-two foreign and defense ministers dialogue that underscored their pivotal role in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
The two countries had also agreed to strengthen their pact of maritime cooperation and military logistics, while broadening the scope of bilateral defense-industry collaboration to develop cutting-edge weapon systems.
