In a first ever joint military exercise, the armies of India and Japan will hone their combat skills in counter-terrorism in Indian north-eastern state Mizoram – a couple of hundreds kilometers from Indo-Chinese border.
Starting from November 1, the two-week long joint exercise has been titled “Japan-India Joint Exercise – DHARMA GUARDIAN 2018″.
The Indian contingent will be represented by GORKHA RIFLES while the Japanese contingent by 32 Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF).
To end on November 14, the exercise would take place at Jungle Warfare School, Mizoram.
“This exercise is the first ever joint military exercise between JGSDF and Indian army, so conducting this exercise has important meanings and also contributes to the peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” a statement by Japanese Embassy to India stated.
The indian Army statement said that the the focus of the two-week-long exercise ‘Dharma Guardian” will be to increase interoperability between the two forces and enhance coordination in dealing with various security challenges.
“Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in urban warfare scenario,” the Army said in a statement.
Security experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their views on various aspects of military operations as part of the exercise, it said.
“It will contribute immensely in developing mutual understanding and respect for each other’s militaries and also facilitate tracking the worldwide phenomenon of terrorism,” the statement said
