Japan and India begin first-ever joint air combat drill

Asia-Pacific, News January 17, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Japan and India started their first-ever joint air combat drill on January 16, 2023. Defense ties between the two countries have deepened in the wake of China’s expanding economic and military influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The air combat drill would take place at different locations in Japan. According to the Japanese ministry of defense, the exercise will last for 11 days and will end on January 26, which also marks India’s Republic Day.

Japan’s four F-2 and four F-15 fighters will join the Indian Air Force’s four Su-30MKI fighters, and two C-17 transport aircraft during the air drill held around Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki province, northeast of the capital Tokyo. An IL-78 aerial refueling tanker is also participating in the drill.

India is the fifth nation besides the U.S., Australia, the UK, and Germany to conduct joint aerial exercises with Japan in recent times. In the past, Japanese ground and maritime self-defense forces also held joint drills with their Indian counterparts.

Both India and Japan are members of the U.S.-led regional security alliance, the Quad. Australia is also a member of the Quad alliance. The Quad was formed to counter the security challenges posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region.

*^{An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Flanker refuels from a RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport during Exercise Pitch Black 18. (Image Credit: Australian Department of Defence/via livefistdefence)}*

Japan’s increasing attention to security and defense

Japan is diverging from its pacifist approach amid growing threats from regional rivals. In December 2022, Japan unveiled its new national security policy indicating that Japan is planning for the largest military build-up since World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked his Cabinet to secure enough funds to raise defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) within the next five years. The proposed increase would total about $287 billion over the next five years.

In comparison, Japan’s defense budget for the fiscal year that ends in March 2023 is $39.66 billion. By spending 2% of its GDP on defense, Japan would come in line with the standards of the NATO alliance, which requires its members to have budget spending accounting for at least 2% of the total GDP. Despite being an ally to many NATO member states, Japan is not a NATO signatory.

*^{Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force personnel conduct an amphibious drill with the U.S. Marines in February 2020 in Okinawa Prefecture. (Image Credit: Kyodo)}*

Japan’s long-time regional rival China has been growing its naval and air forces in areas near Japan while claiming the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited Japanese-controlled chain in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, as its sovereign territory. Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia also pose a great threat to Japan. All these factors have led to an overhaul of the Japanese national security action plan.

Recently, the Japanese Prime Minister visited the U.S. to meet President Joe Biden and to reaffirm security agreements between Japan and U.S. He also visited Italy, France, Britain, and Canada to forge security ties that could help it fend off China, North Korea, and Russia.