Japan and India conduct the first combined fighter jet exercise

• India and Japan conducted their first combined fighter aircraft exercise.
• Around 150 Indian Air Force troops are participating in the drill.
• The two countries agreed to the practice during meetings.

Tokyo: Japan and India conducted their first combined fighter aircraft exercise near Tokyo on Monday as the countries strengthen their defence and security ties.

The 11-day bilateral exercise will feature eight Japanese fighter airplanes and four Indian fighters, two transport planes, and an aerial refueling tanker, according to Japan’s defence ministry.

Around 150 Indian Air Force troops are participating in the drill at the Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

The two countries agreed to the practice during meetings between Japanese and Indian defense and foreign ministers in 2019, but it was postponed because of the pandemic.

Japan and India, along with Australia and the United States, form the “Quad” alliance, a grouping of regional nations concerned about China’s military and economic clout.

In recent months, Tokyo has undertaken a series of joint military drills, as well as revamping its defence and security strategy and clearly voicing its concerns about China.

In December, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration pledged to double defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027, labeling China the “biggest strategic challenge ever” to Japan’s security.

Last week, Japan signed a new defence treaty with the United Kingdom and agreed to broaden its mutual defence treaty with the United States to include space-based threats.

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