India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on maritime security cooperation, committing to deepen defence ties and oppose unilateral actions that impede freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, a move seen as directed at China's increasing military presence.
Japan is deepening its defence relationship with India while simultaneously expanding its economic, infrastructure and security engagement with countries around India -- particularly Bangladesh. The result is an emerging Japanese conception of South Asia in which India remains the strategic anchor, but the geography surrounding India is becoming increasingly important, points out Varun Arya.
With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the frigate is among the most self-reliant frontline warships built in India.
History may remember Takaichi Sanae not as the leader who simply accelerated Japanese rearmament, but as one who governed during Japan's transition from an industrial-age security model to a post-industrial strategic member of the global order, points out Varun Arya.
Trump said that Iran's leadership, along with its air defence, Air Force, and Navy are 'gone'.
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
Lieutenant General Seth's involvement in the army's capability development and modernisation efforts is evident from the key appointments he has held in the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Directorates, including Colonel Capability Development for Mechanised Forces, Brigadier Perspective Plans and Acquisition, and Additional Director General Capability Development.
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
The 15th India-Vietnam Defence Dialogue signalled a move from routine talks to deeper cooperation, with new deals on submarine rescue and defence industry to support stability in the Indo-Pacific, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The mega exercise took place at a time India and China are locked in a nearly six-month-long bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Indian and Japanese ships engaged in advanced level exercises in all three domains of maritime warfare -- surface, sub surface and air.
If Iran and Oman choose to charge a fee for rendering services to vessels using their territorial waters, so be it. The US is indulging in an irrationally self-destructive act, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A senior US official has emphasised India's crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring a balanced power dynamic in Asia, advocating for stronger defence ties between the two nations.
INS Vagir set a new record for the longest-ever deployment of any Scorpene-class submarine, covering a distance of 7,000 kilometres to reach Australia for joint military exercises.
The Indian Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, a significant step towards bolstering the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities. The decision comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
The Indian military will showcase an Operation Sindoor-themed tableau for the Republic Day parade, highlighting the jointness of the three services and India's military capabilities.
In a region increasingly shaped by competition and coercion, such collaboration strengthens security without confrontation, builds capacity without dependency and promotes order without domination, points out Dr Kumar.
The proposals cleared by the DAC include new-generation anti-tank mines, air defence tactical control radar, heavy-weight torpedoes, medium-range maritime reconnaissance and multi-mission maritime aircraft, flight refueller aircraft and software-defined radios.
In the Indo-Pacific's new era -- where perception shapes reality faster than treaties -- the real entrapment is not of China or the United States. It is the test Japan has set for itself -- and whether partners like India, acting as balancers rather than accelerants, can help ensure that the story ends in stability, points out Varun Arya.
The goal of the CDS' visit was to emphasise the rising significance of defence collaboration between India and Japan while reiterating strategic cooperation
"Two destroyers, one maritime patrol aircraft and a helicopter of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) will participate in the exercise whereas INS Rana, INS Shivalik, INS Karmukh and fleet tanker INS Shakti will represent India," the Indian Navy said on Friday.
India and Japan are set to intensify defence cooperation with the two sides likely to launch a security consultative framework involving their foreign and defence ministers.
Equipped with torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets, the first of the Mahe-class anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW SWC) was delivered to the Navy on October 23.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
The purge in Washington does not pause the war. Strikes continue, Hormuz remains closed, and Brent crude is still dancing around $109 a barrel. For India, the command chaos in the Pentagon is another layer of uncertainty piled on five weeks of conflict that was already straining every buffer Delhi has.
India and the UK have announced a series of defence cooperation initiatives, including a USD 468 million deal for the supply of lightweight multirole missile systems to enhance India's air defence capabilities.
Though Mukherjee did not specify a date for the naval exercise, sources told PTI that it will be held in April.
The India-Japan joint naval exercises are a strategic signal for China, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
In an address at the Navy Commanders' Conference, he said 'jointness' in operations will be critical in any future wars and restructuring of military commands and establishment of theatre commands is the way ahead.
In a calibrated operation, the Indian Navy on Saturday 'coerced' 35 Pirates onboard a merchant ship around 1,400 nautical miles from the Indian coast to surrender and ensured the safe evacuation of 17 crew members without any injury, officials said.
After Operation Sindoor, the Army and Navy now view the IAF as not a supporting arm, but the spearhead of India's warfighting capability, capable of decisive outcomes across domains, explains Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Police officers on duty at the venue where former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot didn't recognise a suspicious man in the crowd until hearing the first gunshot, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.
New Delhi's growing defence partnership with Tokyo could take wing with the US-2 (Utility Seaplane Mark 2), a one-of-a-kind amphibious aircraft that has Indian naval planners goggle-eyed.
Four frontline warships of the Indian Navy participated in the 'PASSEX' exercise when the US carrier strike group was transiting through the Indian Ocean Region on its way from the South China Sea, the officials said.
'Saudi-Pak defence pact is to anchor the defence and security of Saudi Arabia and not Pakistan, per se, with Islamabad being the junior partner.'
Hari Kumar lauded Adani's efforts in aligning their roadmap to the requirements of the Indian Navy and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable Aatmanirbharta in defence and security.
Rediff.com's Vipin Vijayan, who is travelling with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan, reports from Tokyo.
