Indo-Jap Air drill: Shinyuu Maitri to start this week in West Bengal

Kolkata: The Indo-Japan Joint Air Force Exercise: Shinyuu Maitri - 2019 is going to start from this week in West Bengal. It will be held from October 17 to 23 at Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh. While the Indian Air Force will deploy a C-130 J aircraft of its Special Operations Squadron, the Japanese Air Self Defence Force will participate with its C-130 H of its Tactical Airlift Squadron.

According to the Eastern Air Command sources, the focus of exercise would be to undertake Joint Mobility & Tactical interoperability among the two forces. Within few days of the Indo-Japan Joint Air Force Exercise: Shinyuu Maitri - 2019, another drill between the armies of the same countries will also get underway in the eastern theatre.

The Indo-Japan Joint Military Exercise Dharma Guardian - 2019 will be conducted at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Vairengte of Mizoram from October 19 to November 2. The Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF) comprising 25 soldiers each will participate in the exercise with an aim to share experience gained during various counter terrorism operations in respective countries.        

The Eastern Command stated that Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN is an annual training event which is being conducted in India since 2018. Notably, in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN with Japan is crucial and significant in terms of security challenges faced by both the nations in the backdrop of global terrorism, it said.

The scope of the exercise covers platoon level joint training on counter terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario. The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army and JGSDF which in turn will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.