Tokyo – The US, India and Japan are to begin a week-long joint naval war games in the Pacific ocean near Japan’s coast. This is in view to refresh the naval ties between these three countries and concentrate on increasingly aggressive China in Asia. Warships as well as Naval planes will be taking part in this proposed joint venture. The official opening of the joint exercises will be organised at the Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan.

The war-game is known by the name Malabar Exercise. Generally, the naval groups of US and India used to take part in this annual event. Japan’s Maritime Self-De fence Force (MSDF) has also decided to take part in this year’s exercise. This is for the third time that Japan takes part in the joint naval exercise since 2007. The involvement of Japan with India is viewed with great importance since Delhi and Tokyo remain entangled in territorial disputes with Beijing.
Washington has been increasingly focusing on Asia especially on China’s growing influence at Asia Pacific region and their military buildup that have been unnerving some of its regional neighbors. The growing ties between India and Japan on both military and economic fronts are mainly on these grounds. While the two nations agreed to “further strengthen” their defense cooperation and conduct regular naval exercises, the Prime Minister of Japan is planned to make an official visit to Delhi in January.
The US Seventh Fleet, which covers the western Pacific and Indian Ocean, will take part in the war games while Japan dispatches two escort ships, one search-and-rescue amphibious plane and one patrol plane. In addition to this, several hundred Japanese personnel would also take part in this joint military event.

Video on the US, India and Japan Joint naval exercises