MALABAR 2024: India And Japan Bolster Defence Ties As Indian Navy Chief Meets Japan Self Defence Force Chief

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi met with General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self Defence Force, in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting took place as part of Exercise ‘MALABAR 2024,’ a multilateral military exercise involving India, Japan, the United States, and Australia, focused on promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

During their discussions, General Yoshida and Admiral Tripathi explored ways to enhance current defence cooperation, identify opportunities for technological collaboration, and strengthen bilateral ties.

Must Read: Trump Faces Backlash After Insulting Detroit During Campaign

The Indian Navy shared images from the meeting on social media, stating, “Gen Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self Defence Force, on a visit to India for Exercise #MALABAR2024, interacted with Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS on #10Oct 24, #NewDelhi.”

The post added, “Discussions progressed on existing defence cooperation avenues, technological collaboration and new opportunities to strengthen bilateral ties towards a Free and Open #IndoPacific.”

On Wednesday, naval forces from Australia, Japan, and the US joined India for the opening ceremony of “Malabar 2024” in Vishakhapatnam. This year marks the 28th edition of the Malabar exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the United States and India. Over the years, it has expanded in both scope and complexity and now includes Japan and Australia.

This is the fifth time that all four nations have participated in the Malabar exercise, aimed at advancing collective planning, integration, and the use of advanced warfare tactics among the participating nations.

Maritime forces from Australia, India, Japan, and the US frequently operate together across the Indo-Pacific region to support regional security and stability. India is leading this year’s Malabar exercise.

The lead for the planning and execution of the Malabar exercise rotates each year among the participating nations, as does the exercise location, to showcase the combined capability to operate across the entire Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Also Read: DeSantis Blasts Harris Over Hurricane Response Criticism