India, Japan to conduct 1st ever naval exercise

The Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force will conduct their first ever bilateral exercise during the visit of four Indian Navy ships to Japan from today up to June 9 as part of the scheduled Overseas Fleet Deployment, India's official Press Information Bureau (PIB) said. The exercise will be conducted off the coast of Japan on June 9 and 10. The conduct of bilateral naval exercises between both the countries was decided during the visit of the Indian Defence Minister A K Antony to Japan in November 2011. Both the navies will also conduct routine passage exercises (PASSEX) during the visit of Japanese ships to Indian ports this year. The engagement between the navies of India and Japan is part of the overall defence co-operation between both countries. Defence exchanges between India and Japan presently comprise annual Defence Minister level meetings, Defence Policy dialogue at Defence Secretary level and Army and Naval Staff Talks, the PIB said.