India, Japan to hold joint military exercise from Oct 19

A joint military exercise Dharma-Guardian 2019 will be conducted between India and Japan at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte in Mizoram from October 19 to November 2, an official statement said.

The Indian Army and the Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF), comprising 25 soldiers each, will participate in the exercise with an aim to share experience gained during various counter-terrorism operations in respective countries.

The exercise is an annual training event which is being conducted in India since 2018.

In the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Dharma-Guardian exercise with Japan is crucial and significant in terms of security challenges faced by both the nations in the backdrop of global terrorism, the statement said.

The scope of this exercise covers platoon-level joint training on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario.

The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between the two forces, which in turn will further foster the bilateral relations between India and Japan, the statement added.