India and Japan plan to conduct their first-ever air combat exercise with fighter jets, boost their reciprocal military logistics pact and expand the scope of defence-industrial collaboration to develop cutting-edge weapon systems, in the face of China’s expansionist behaviour in the Indo-Pacific figuring prominently on their radar screens.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Yasukazu Hamada, who also met separately in addition to the two-plus-two dialogue, stressed the importance of the India-Japan defence partnership and the critical role it will play in ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. Rajnath Singh said, “We also held extensive discussions on ways to enhance maritime cooperation, including MDA (maritime domain awareness)”.
While India is facing the continuing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh with China, though troop disengagement has taken place in a few areas, Japan is strengthening its military capabilities to prepare for any contingency arising out of the Taiwan Strait crisis. The India-Japan joint statement, incidentally, took note of Tokyo’s resolve to examine all options necessary for its national defence, including “counter-strike” capabilities. “The Japanese side expressed its determination to fundamentally reinforce its defence capabilities within the next five years and secure substantial increase of defence budget needed to effect it,” the statement said. “Acknowledging Japan’s determination to reinforce its defence capabilities, the Indian side expressed its support to work towards enhanced security and defence cooperation”. The two countries will make “continuous efforts towards more complex and sophisticated” bilateral exercises. Towards this end, the two defence ministers agreed that the “the early conduct of the inaugural fighter exercise” will pave the way for “much greater cooperation and interoperability” between their air forces.
