Japanese and Indian warships carried out exercises in the Indian Ocean on 28th June, the navies of both countries announced via Twitter. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force described the purpose of the maneuvers as “promoting mutual understanding”. Four warships entered the maneuvers , two from each country.
Naval exercises carried out by Japan and India are now routine, but these are framed in the current situation of stalemate between China and India in the Ladakh region, on the common border.
“We used the exercises to [carry out] strategic communications,” said Indian Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, director general of the National Maritime Foundation. The ships of the two navies “were not there for combat operations, but to signal,” he said.
The Indian Navy training ships INS Rana and INS Kulush joined the Japanese Navy vessels JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki. The Japanese Embassy in New Delhi specified that these were the 15th exercises carried out by countries in three years.
