India, Japan set to boost military ties

[IBRIS]

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27
Amidst diplomatic tension between Tokyo and Beijing, China’s two neighbours Japan and India today signalled a significant boost in their military ties. The two nations will conduct their first ever Army-to-Army talks starting tomorrow in New Delhi. Separately, the Indian Air Force Chief will be visiting Japan.

The four-day talks come at time when China is exerting pressure on Japan and the two countries are locked in a bitter dispute over the control of un-inhabited islands in the South East China Sea. India, early this month, upped its military relations with South Korea, another China’s neighbour. South Korea and China see each other with suspicion largely due to China’s “friendship” with North Korea - a major irritant for the South Korea.

Apart from the Army-level talks that will plan joint exercises and military exchanges between India and Japan, the IAF Chief Air Chief Marshall P V Naik will embark on a four-day visit to Tokyo tomorrow. "Naik will be on a goodwill visit to Tokyo….. while a Japanese Army team will be in Delhi to chalk out programmes aimed at furthering army-to-army contact," Defence Ministry officials confirmed here today.

Naik's visit comes three years after then Air Force chief S P Tyagi had gone to Tokyo on a visit. Naik, in his capacity as the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, will be meeting with his Japanese defence forces' Chief of Staff General Kenichiro Hokazono when they would debate regional security issues. He would also be taking a tour of military installations of Japan and a couple of their training institutes during the visit. Gen Hokazono is expected to pay a return visit to Delhi next year for the same purpose.

Meanwhile, the visiting Japanese Army team will be led by its Director (Policy and Programme) Major General Koichiro Bansho and three other officers. “They will draw up a calendar of joint events,” a senior official said. India has such an arrangement with eight other countries like the US, the UK, Israel, France, Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Singapore. Notably, Bangladesh is on either side of the Asian divide. The country had military relations with China also. Singapore is more on the Indian side.

In the four-day discussion, India and Japan are expected to share their ‘mutual security concerns’ and issues and review the bilateral army-to-army relations. The mutual security concerns are aimed at China, said a source while adding that it is natural.

Defence Minister A K Antony had visited Japan in November 2009. During that visit, Antony and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa had reviewed the on-going defence related interactions and explored ways to enhance such exchanges for mutual benefit.

Among the issues discussed then were conducting joint exercises between the two armed forces and exchange of students in their respective defence training institutions and the possibilities of co-ordination of their respective Navy's efforts in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and other maritime security challenges.

 

[Anonymous_Clown]

Excellent news. For far too long, India has focused excessively on its immediate neighbourhood. We need to get a broader perspective and engage with more nations. This is a good move.

 

[CONNAN]

India, Japan Signal Ramping Up of Defence Relations

http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?694887
Signalling ramping up of defence relations with Japan, IAF Chief P V Naik will embark on a four-day visit to Tokyo tomorrow, even as a Japanese Army team will be here to plan joint exercises and exchanges for the first time.

"Naik will be on a goodwill visit to Tokyo, basically to build bilateral military ties, while a Japanese Army team will be in Delhi to chalk out programmes aimed at furthering army-to-army contact," Defence Ministry officials said here today.

Naik's visit comes three years after then Air Force chief S P Tyagi had gone to Tokyo on a visit. Naik, in his capacity as the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, will be meeting with his Japanese defence forces' Chief of Staff General Kenichiro Hokazono when they would debate regional security issues.

He would also be taking a tour of military installations of Japan and a couple of their training institutes during the visit.

Naik will return to India on October 1. Gen Hokazono is expected to visit Delhi next year for the same purpose as Naik's current visit, officials said.

Japanese army team led by its Director (Policy and Programme) Major General Koichiro Bansho and three other officers will be in Delhi till October 1 when they would be meeting with their Indian Army counterparts in a first-of-its kind effort at drawing up a calender of joint events.

India has such an arrangement with eight other countries like the US, the UK, Israel, France, Australia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Singapore.

In the four-day discussion, the two sides are expected to share their mutual security concerns and issues and review the bilateral army-to-army relations.

"They will also work out a plan to institutionalize a bilateral calendar of joint exercises, visits and exchanges between the two armies," the officials said.

Defence Minister A K Antony too had visited Japan in November 2009. During that visit, Antony and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa had reviewed the on-going defence related interactions and explored ways to enhance such exchanges for mutual benefit.

Among the issues discussed then were conducting joint exercises between the two armed forces and exchange of students in their respective defence training institutions, and the possibilities of co-ordination of their respective Navy's efforts in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and other maritime security challenges.

Indo-Japanese security and defence co-operation is guided by a joint statement issued by their Defence Ministers in May 2006 and the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation issued during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan in October 2008.