NEWS

JS URAGA and JS HIRADO, conducted bilateral exercise with INS SHIVALIK and INS KADMAT

On January 13, JS URAGA and JS HIRADO, which are engaged in the 2021 Indo-Pacific Area Dispatch Exercise (IMED21), conducted a bilateral Japan-India exercise with the INS SHIVALIK and INS KADMAT in the eastern Indian Ocean to improve their tactical skills and strengthen cooperation with the Indian Navy.
Commander, Minesweeper Division 1, Captain NOGUCHI Yasushi, commanding officer of IMED 21, said, “It is very meaningful that we were able to conduct bilateral exercise with the Indian Navy, an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, is Japan's main maritime traffic route, in order to improve our ability to jointly deal with global issues. Despite COVID-19, we conducted the IMED21 by making the best use of the flexibility and mobility that are the characteristics of the Navy”.
The Self-Defense Fleet maintains readiness and contributes to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region not only for the defense of Japan but also for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” in cooperation with partner navies.