The Indian Navy hosted the sixth iteration of the Japan-India Maritime Exercise, JIMEX 22, which was held in the Bay of Bengal. On Saturday, the two sides said each other farewell with a traditional steam past.
JIMEX included intricate tactical exercises in all facets of naval warfare to improve communication between two important maritime forces in the Indo-Pacific.
Beginning in January 2012, the JIMEX series of exercises put a particular emphasis on the collaboration between Japan and India on maritime security. The Arabian Sea hosted the previous JIMEX edition in October 2021.
“Indian Naval ships led by Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Izumo and Takanami led by Rear Adm Hirata Toshiyuki, Commander Escort Flotilla Four, participated in the week-long exercise,” said a press statement from the Indian Navy.
Some of the two fleets’ most difficult combined exercises were performed during JIMEX 22. Advanced anti-submarine warfare, weapon firings, and Air Defense drills were conducted by both sides. Submarines, fighter jets, and ship-borne helicopters all took part in the drill. In accordance with the Reciprocal Provision for Supply and Services Agreement, Indian Navy and JMSDF ships refueled one another at sea (RPSS). The exercise’s objectives were to improve interoperability and create a shared understanding of operating procedures by conducting drills that covered the full range of maritime operations in the surface, subsurface, and air domains.
Given the roles of the two nations in the Indo-Pacific area that make up the Quad with Australia and the United States, the naval exercise was strategically crucial.
A joint statement issued after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in March earlier this year said, “The Prime Ministers emphasized that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law. With their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Prime Ministers affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries of the region, including the quadrilateral cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the Quad).”
