India-Japan Bilateral Exercise Bolsters Air Force Cooperation, Fourth Bilateral Army Exercise Announced
India and Japan are bolstering defense ties by increasing interactions between their air and land counterparts. The first ever bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) concluded in Japan on 26 January. Meanwhile the fourth edition of the ‘Dharma Guardian’ exercise between the Indian Army and Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) is set to be held from 17 February to 2 March in Japan.
The bilateral field training exercise “Dharma Guardian 22” will focus on counter-terrorism tactics. It will be held in Aibano Maneuver Area, Shiga. JGSDF’s 36th Infantry Regiment and the Indian Army’s 5th Infantry Battalion will take part in the exercise. The exercise will be held in Japan for the first time, with the previous three editions held in 2018, 2019 and 2022 all hosted by India.
The Veer Guardian exercise, delayed due to Covid-19, was held at Hyakuri and Iruma Air Bases from January 16. IAF deployed four Su-30MKI fighters (No.220 Squadron) with two C-17s (No.81 Squadron) and an Il-78 tanker for support while JASDF participated with four F-2 (7th Air Wing) and four F-15J (Air Tactics Development Wing) fighters.
IAF aircraft arrived in Japan on January 10, after a brief stop in the Philippines. Significantly, this marked the first instance of IAF fighters in the Philippines, the nation which became the first export customer of India’s BrahMos cruise missile. The aircraft stopped over again on January 28 after completion of Veer Guardian.
The first ever deployment of Su-30MKIs to Japan garnered widespread public attention. The sheer size of the aircraft meant that it could not fit into the hangars at Hyakuri.
An Indian Ministry of Defence statement said:
“During the joint training spanning 16 days, the two Air Forces engaged in complex and comprehensive aerial manoeuvres in multiple simulated operational scenarios. The exercise involved precise planning and skillful execution by both the air forces. IAF and JASDF engaged in air combat manoeuvring, interception and air defence missions, both in Visual and Beyond Visual Range settings. Aircrew of the two participating Air Forces also flew in each other’s fighter aircraft to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s operating philosophies.”
‘Veer Guardian 2023’ provided the two Air Forces with an opportunity to enhance mutual understanding. The exercise also witnessed numerous ground interactions between IAF and JASDF personnel enabling exchange of best practices. Sibi George, the Ambassador of India to Japan visited Hyakuri Air Base on January 13 to meet the IAF contingent. The land and air exercises now complement India-Japan cooperation in the naval domain which has been the hallmark of defence relations between the nations so far. The two navies interact through both bilateral exercises such as JIMEX and multilateral exercises like Malabar.