India & Japan hold joint naval exercise amid China dispute

New Delhi: At a time when both India and Japan are facing hostility from China, warships from the Indian Navy and Japanese Navy (Japan Maritime Self Defence Force) conducted a joint exercise in the Indian Ocean on Saturday. The naval exercise took place amid growing talk of the possibility of emergence of a joint front of India, Japan, US and Australia to counter the threat of the Chinese Navy in the region.

At a time when both India and Japan are facing hostility from China, warships from Indian Navy and Japanese Navy (Japan Maritime Self Defense Force) conducted a joint exercise in the Indian Ocean on Saturday.

The Naval exercise took place when there is growing talk of the possibility of emergence of a joint front of India, Japan, US and Australia to counter the threat of the Chinese Navy in the region. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force training squadron ships JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki took part in the maritime exercise.

From Indian Navy, INS Rana and INS Kulish were involved in the day long exercise.

“On 27th June, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force conducted goodwill training with Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean,” tweeted Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki. This is the 15th training exercise between JMSDF and Indian Navy for the past 3 years.

“The focus of the exercise was interoperability between the two navies,” said sources.

Japan had backed India during the Doklam standoff with China and has also expressed condolences on the death of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley.