India-Japan military ties blossom as another joint military exercise kicks off

Bolstering their defence cooperation to tackle joint responses to future threats in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, India and Japan kick off yet another joint military exercise on Friday.

Troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and an infantry regiment from the Middle Army of the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) will participate in the fourth edition of a joint military exercise between India and Japan at Camp Imazu in Japan’s Shiga province from Friday.

Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’, which will be held till March 2, is an annual training event with Japan which remains crucial and significant in terms of security challenges faced by both nations in the backdrop of the current global situation. The scope of this exercise covers platoon-level joint training on operations in jungle and semi-urban/urban terrain.

It comes close on the heels of last month’s inaugural ‘Veer Guardian-2023’ joint Air Exercise at the Hyakuri Air Base.

These joint exercises will be another step in deepening strategic ties and closer defence cooperation between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army contingent arrived at the exercise location earlier this week where they were accorded a warm reception.

The joint exercise will enable the two armies to share best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting tactical operations under a UN Mandate, in addition to developing inter-operability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two armies.

The training will focus primarily on a high degree of physical fitness and sharing of drills at the tactical level. During the exercise, participants will engage in a variety of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, and the basics of establishing integrated surveillance grids, including the employment of aerial assets.

“Exercise Dharma Guardian will further enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces, furthering the bilateral relations between the two nations,” stated the Ministry of Defence on Thursday.

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