JIMEX 12 : India, Japan to have first bilateral naval exercise off Tokyo

JIMEX 12 = Japan India Maritime Exercise 2012

India and Japan will hold their first bilateral naval exercise off Tokyo. 4 Indian warships including the INS Rana, INS Shakti and INS Shivalik are in Tokyo harbor to celebrate 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The basic bilateral exercises with Japanese self-defence force will be held while Indian warships return from there.

Objective:

• Maritime Security Cooperation. 
• These include Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and Visit, Board, Searchand Seizure (VBSS) drills, which form a part of Anti-Piracy operations.
• The two countries also intend to increase cooperation in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and launch a maritime dialogue mechanism. The warships of the two navies are coordinating in patrolling in the Gulf of Aden to help escort a larger number of cargo vessels sailing through the troubled waters there. Thus permitting Indian and Japanese navies to swimmingly operate together in the arena of maritime security / HADR operations, should the need bob up.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2012