(Video) Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) The Big Picture: India-Japan Cooperation

Topic: India-Japan Cooperation

Guest:

Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd., Defence & Strategic Expert)
Vishnu Prakash, (Former Ambassador)
Rajendra Harshe, (Foreign Affairs Expert)

Topic Description:

Indian and Japanese warships conducted exercises in the Indian Ocean last week. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force described the manoeuvres as designed to “promote mutual understanding” and consisted of four warships, two from each country. Naval exercises are now routine between India and Japan, but the timing of the present exercise will be related with the military stand-off between India and China in Ladakh. The Indian navy training vessels INS Rana and INS Kulush were joined by the Japanese navy’s JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki. The Japanese embassy in New Delhi said this was the 15th such exercise in three years. The Japanese navy has become one of the principal partners of the Indian Navy. Indian naval ships take part in the exercise, both bilaterally with their Japanese counterparts and as part of the Malabar Exercises, which include the United States.