Aiming to further enhance interoperability, improve understanding and imbibe the best practices of each other, the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Kaga, an Izumo class helicopter destroyer and Inazuma – a guided missile destroyer arrived at Visakhapatnam on Sunday to participate in the 3rd edition of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX).
The exercise will conclude on October 15. The ships of Eastern Fleet on the Indian Navy will take part in this exercise.
The Indian Navy will be represented by three indigenously designed and built warships and a Fleet Tanker.
The ships participating are INS Satpura, multipurpose stealth frigate, INS Kadmatt, Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvette and INS Shakti, the Fleet Tanker.
In addition, one submarine, P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a number of integral helicopters would also be participating in the exercise, an Indian Navy spokesperson said.
The Indian ships participating would be under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet.
JIMEX 18, spread over eight days, will comprise a Harbour Phase and a Sea Phase of four days each.
The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in December 2013 off Chennai.
The conduct of JIMEX-18 after five years is indicative of an upswing in the Indo-Japanese defence relations and the continued efforts of both governments to work closely to enhance safety and security of the global commons in keeping with ‘rule based order’.
It is pertinent to highlight that JMSDF is a regular participant in the Malabar series of exercises between Indian and US Navies.
In addition, the ships of the two navies have been working in close coordination in Anti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) for the past few years.
JMSDF Ships also participated in the recently concluded MALABAR 18 off Guam (along with Indian and US Navy units) in the Pacific Ocean in June and biennial multilateral exercise RIMPAC-18 off Hawaii, USA.
