In News:

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri, an indigenously built Shivalik-class guided missile stealth frigate, participated in the Japan–India Maritime Exercise (JAIMEX-25).

About JAIMEX 2025

• Nature of Exercise: JAIMEX is a bilateral maritime exercise conducted between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
• Objective: It aims to enhance operational interoperability, mutual understanding, and maritime cooperation, reflecting the robust ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ established between India and Japan in 2014.
• Theme: Upholding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific based on the principles of rules-based order, freedom of navigation, and shared maritime security.

Exercise Structure

JAIMEX 2025 was conducted in two distinct phases — the Sea Phase and the Harbour Phase, each designed to deepen operational synergy and people-to-people interaction between the two navies.

1. Sea Phase:

• Participating vessels included INS Sahyadri, and JMSDF ships Asahi, Oumi, and Submarine Jinryu.
• The drills focused on:
  • Advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)andmissile defence operations.
  • Flying operationsandunderway replenishmentexercises.
  • Maritime domain awareness and communication interoperability.
• These activities aimed to enhance tactical coordination, build mutual trust, and improve joint operational readiness between the two navies.

2. Harbour Phase (Yokosuka, Japan)

• Featured professional and cultural exchanges, including:
  • Cross-deck visits,
  • Collaborative operational planning,
  • Sharing of best practices, and
  • A combined Yoga session to promote cultural camaraderie.
• The harbour engagement served as a part of INS Sahyadri’s Long Range Deployment (LRD) to the Indo-Pacific, reflecting India’s increasing maritime outreach and strategic presence in the region.

Significance of JAIMEX

• Strengthens Maritime Cooperation: Enhances India–Japan naval interoperability, crucial for coordinated responses to maritime security challenges such as piracy, illegal fishing, and humanitarian assistance.
• Supports the Indo-Pacific Vision: Reinforces the shared commitment to a rules-based maritime order and an inclusive Indo-Pacific, aligning with initiatives like QUAD and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• Boosts Defence Diplomacy: Builds mutual trust and operational understanding through regular bilateral and multilateral engagements.
• Showcases India’s Indigenous Naval Capability: INS Sahyadri’s participation underscores India’s progress under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and its ability to deploy advanced indigenous platforms for extended missions.

INS Sahyadri: Key Facts

India–Japan Defence and Strategic Cooperation

The India–Japan defence partnership has become a key component of their broader Special Strategic and Global Partnership (2014), rooted in shared democratic values and converging strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Major Bilateral and Multilateral Defence Engagements:

• Malabar Exercise – Multilateral naval exercise (India, Japan, USA, Australia).
• Dharma Guardian – Bilateral Army exercise.
• Veer Guardian – Bilateral Air Force exercise.
• 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue – Institutional mechanism for strategic coordination.

These engagements collectively strengthen maritime domain awareness, supply chain resilience, and defence technology cooperation between the two nations.

Strategic Context

• The JAIMEX exercise aligns with India’s Act East Policy and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision.
• It demonstrates a collective response to maritime challenges such as increasing militarization, territorial disputes, and climate-driven risks in the Indo-Pacific.
• The partnership complements India’s engagement in regional groupings such as the QUAD, ASEAN-led mechanisms, and IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).