Japanese naval ships arrive in Kochi amid string of military exercises

Two Japanese naval ships made a port call at Kochi, significantly contributing towards strengthening India-Japan bilateral defence ties and enhancing maritime cooperation in the region.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships Uraga and Awaji are on their way to Bahrain. During the visit, they were familarised with various training facilities and activities undertaken at the Training Command of the Indian Navy. Visit and professional interaction onboard Japanese ships were conducted to enhance interoperability and share best practices between the Navies.

Captain Nakai Eichi, Commander, Minesweeper Division One along with Commanding Officers of JS Uraga and JS Awaji called on Commodore Upal Kundu, Chief Staff Officer (Training), Southern Naval Command and discussed matters of mutual interest. The ship’s crew visited professional training schools and ship of Southern Naval Command.

Meanwhile, bolstering their defence cooperation to tackle joint responses to future threats in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, India and Japan kicked 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) are participating in the fourth edition of a joint military exercise between India and Japan at Camp Imazu in Japan’s Shiga province from today.

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.

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