To Address CCP’s Threat, Japan and India Conduct First Joint Warplane Exercise

India and Japan will hold their first joint air drills starting January 16. Indian media quoted sources as revealing that this exercise is designed to convey a message to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that Japan and India can support each other. Japan can provide air support for India from the Pacific Ocean and India can use its air power to help Japan from the Indian Ocean when needed, cited sources in Indian media.

The aerial exercise, called Veer Guardian-23, will be held between January 16 and January 26th at Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture and Iruma Air Base in Saitama Prefecture in Japan. At that time, Japan will deploy four F-2 and four F-15 fighters, while India will dispatch four Su-30MKI fighters, two C-17 transport aircraft, and one IL-78 tanker, along with a contingent of around 150 personnel. Reports believe that this is a practical demonstration of growing cooperation between Japan and India in response to the CCP’s threat.

Japan’s foreign ministry said the drill was a resolution reached during the 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial meeting between India and Japan in September 2022 in Tokyo. India is the fifth country to hold joint exercises with Japan after the United States, Australia, Britain, and Germany.