India and Japan recently conducted a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) in the Andaman Sea. This exercise is part of the ongoing coordination between the two countries to promote safe and secure international shipping and trade in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Exercise Details
The MPX was designed to enhance interoperability and streamline seamanship and communication procedures. Regular exercises like this have been carried out between the two countries to reinforce maritime association in the IOR.
The participants from India was INS Sukanya, an offshore patrol vessel used primarily for offshore patrol of India’s exclusive economic zone. Meanwhile, JS Samidare, a Murasame class destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, represented Japan.
The exercise involved various activities, including seamanship actions, aircraft operations, and tactical manoeuvres as part of the operational interaction.
Other Maritime Exercises
Apart from Japan, India also conducts maritime exercises with several other countries. These include the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) with Thailand, Konkan – Shakti with the United Kingdom, Samudra Shakti with Indonesia, Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) with Singapore, and Zair-Al-Bahr with Qatar.
Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) is another avenue where India seeks to increase maritime cooperation. This voluntary initiative aims to provide an open and inclusive forum for discussing regionally relevant maritime issues.
The inaugural IONS was held in India in February 2008, with the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, being designated as the Chairman of IONS for the period 2008-10. This forum has helped establish friendly relationships among member nations, thereby increasing maritime security cooperation.
Importance of India-Japan Maritime Relations
India and Japan’s maritime partnership is of global and strategic importance. Through exercises like MPX, both countries are not only strengthening their relationship but also contributing to the maintenance of peace and security in Asia and the world. This stands testament to the increasing significance of such partnerships in contemporary geopolitics.