In September, Japan will send fighter jets to India for the first time as part of the joint exercise called Veer Guardian 26 with the Indian Air Force. The training will take place from September 9 to 21 in Rajasthan, a state in western India.
According to reports from the South China Morning Post, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force will be sending three F-2 fighter jets along with around 110 personnel from the 8th Air Wing, which is stationed at Tsuiki Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture. Takehiro Morita, the Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, stated that these exercises aim to enhance mutual understanding and trust between Japan and India.
### Growing Defense Ties
This deployment comes after a visit from Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to India. During his meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Koizumi expressed his commitment to strengthening defense cooperation through such joint exercises, which are vital for maintaining peace and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region.
Veer Guardian 26 will mark the second air exercise between Japan and India. The first exercise took place in January 2023 in Japan, where India sent its Su-30MKI fighter jets while Japan utilized F-2 and F-15 aircraft.
### Context of Regional Security
Jagannath Panda, a specialist in South Asian and Indo-Pacific affairs, believes this upcoming exercise represents more than just usual training routines. He explained that the deployment of F-2 jets signifies that both air forces are moving towards stronger operational collaboration, especially with China’s growing military presence in the region as a backdrop.
Panda pointed out that India is currently dealing with tensions along its Himalayan border with China, while Japan is responding to rising Chinese military activity in the East China Sea and western Pacific. He emphasized that Tokyo and New Delhi are increasingly viewing their security challenges as interconnected.
Both Japan and India are part of the Quad security alliance, which also includes the United States and Australia. Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, described these exercises as part of a broader strategy to maintain balance in the Indo-Pacific. She noted that such training would also help Japanese forces gain valuable experience in handling long-distance deployments and operations outside of Northeast Asia.
