Key Highlights
- INS Sahyadri landed in Yokosuka for JAIMEX 2025, underscoring growing India‑Japan naval ties.
- The drill, conducted Oct 16‑17, tested anti‑submarine, sea‑to‑air, and replenishment capabilities.
- Joint presence of JS Asahi, JS Oumi and JGSDF artillery reinforced multi‑domain coordination.
- Exercise reinforced the “Free, Open, Inclusive Indo‑Pacific” agenda amid regional maritime tensions.
- High‑level exchanges between Indian and Japanese commanders fostered trust and operational readiness.
Detailed Insights
Exercise Scope: The two‑day drill covered anti‑submarine warfare, maritime domain awareness sharing, at‑sea replenishment and joint surface‑air combat, conducted west of Kyushu at 30‑45nm offshore.
Participants: INS Sahyadri (Shivalik‑class stealth frigate) commanded by Capt. Rajat Kumar; Japanese assets included JS Asahi (destroyer), JS Oumi (logistics vessel) and a submarine, supported by the 2nd Artillery Brigade (JGSDF) and the Western Aircraft Control & Warning Wing (JASDF).
Strategic Context: The exercise dovetails with the 2014 Special Strategic & Global Partnership, the promotion of the Free & Open Indo‑Pacific and Japan’s new female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, continuing a consistent Indo‑Pacific focus.
Diplomatic Significance: Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the exercise as a pillar for regional peace and prosperity, while the Ministry of External Affairs underscored converging maritime and infrastructural priorities.
Key Concepts
- JAIMEX – Japan‑India Maritime Exercise, a biennial naval drill for interoperability and maritime security cooperation.
- Indo‑Pacific Partnership – A strategic framework aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation, economic integration and collective security in the Indo‑Pacific region.
- Replenishment‑at‑Sea (RAS) – A naval logistics operation enabling warships to receive fuel, stores and ammunition while underway, preserving operational tempo.
- Multi‑Domain Coordination – Integrated planning and execution across surface, subsurface, air and cyber domains to achieve joint operational objectives.
- Special Strategic & Global Partnership – The 2014 India‑Japan treaty covering defense, technology, trade and regional cooperation.