Japan and India began their first common fighter spurt exercise on Monday near Tokyo as the countries upgrade defence and security ties with an eye on China’s growing service might.
The 11- day common exercise will involve eight Japanese fighter spurts, with India transferring four fighters, two transport aircraft and an upstanding refuelling tanker, Japan’s defence ministry said.
Around 150 Indian Air Force labour forces are taking part in the exercise at the Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
The drill was agreed upon by the two countries during addresses between Japanese and Indian defence and foreign ministers in 2019 but was delayed by the epidemic.
Japan and India — on with Australia and the United States — are part of the “ quadrangle ” alliance, a grouping of indigenous powers that’s decreasingly concerned about China’s service and profitable influence.
Tokyo has held a string of common military exercises in recent months, as well as catching its defence and security strategy and explicitly raising its enterprises about China.
In December, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government committed to doubling defence spending to two per cent of GDP by 2027 and dubbed China the “ topmost strategic challenge ever ” to Japan’s security.
Last week, Japan signed a new defence deal with Britain and agreed to expand its collective defence convention with Washington to attacks in space.
Source: AFP