India, Japan step up military ties amid China's belligerence

New Delhi: Expanding defence outreach in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's belligerence, India will hold simultaneous joint army to army and joint military transport aircraft exercises this week with Japan.

While the 4th edition of joint military exercise, 'Dharma Guardian', is being conducted at Camp Imazu in Shiga province of Japan from February 17 to March 2, the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) will conduct joint transport exercise, 'Shinyu Maitri 23', with the Indian Air Force on March 1-2. Incidentally the exercises coincide with the G-20 foreign ministers meet in Delhi and the Japanese foreign minister's visit here.

Without naming China's belligerence towards either India or Japan, officials said this edition of joint army to army exercise is crucial and significant in terms of security challenges faced by both the nations in the backdrop of current global situation.

Satoru Nagao, researcher at Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, said long-term observation shows that China's territorial threats to Japan and India have simultaneously escalated. "The number of Chinese coast guard ships entering the waters adjacent to the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu Islands in China) increased sharply in 2012, then stabilised, and increased again in 2019. This is the same frequency and intensity as China's invasion of the Sino-Indo border. This is the reason why Japan and India have decided to strengthen security cooperation in all aspects," Nagao pointed out.

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 exercise this year to share experiences gained during operations in order to enhance interoperability in planning and execution, officials said.