New Delhi: General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces, underscored the increasing complexity of maritime threats in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2025 session titled “Deepwater Perils: Securing Trade Through Red Zones,” he emphasized the urgent need to protect sea lanes and submarine cables.

Diverse Threats Across Sub-Regions

General Yoshida explained that the Indo-Pacific region is vast and can be divided into multiple sub-regions, each facing unique challenges. He provided specific examples, noting:

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  • Indian Ocean: Intense competition for access and control.
  • Pacific Islands: Law enforcement challenges such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Complexity of the Maritime Domain

“The maritime domain is a very, very complex domain,” General Yoshida remarked. He stressed the need to enhance preparedness for high-end warfare due to the growing threats from both state and non-state actors, who increasingly adopt similar tactics and strategies.

Japan’s Strategic Initiatives

To address these threats, General Yoshida highlighted Japan’s commitment to increasing its defence budget to 2% of GDP by 2027, aligning its military strength with emerging maritime challenges.

Evolving Defence Strategies

The Raisina Dialogue 2025 session focused on examining the evolving threats that merge state and non-state tactics, raising critical questions about:

  • The preparedness of armed forces.
  • The evolution of defence architectures.
  • The adaptation of military doctrines to address emerging challenges.

Raisina Dialogue 2025

Organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue began on March 17 and concluded on March 19, 2025. This premier conference on geopolitics and geo-economics brought together global leaders to discuss pressing global security challenges.