India News Network | June 15
New Delhi: Enhancing interoperability and strengthening bilateral maritime cooperation between the two countries, India and Japan undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) in the Andaman Sea on Sunday.
Spokesperson of the Indian Navy said on Twitter that the Indian Navy Ship INS Kulish and Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) Training Squadron Ships JS Kashima and JS Setoyuki undertook the PASSEX Exercise in the Andaman Sea.
“Enhancing interoperability & strengthening bilateral maritime cooperation #Indian Navy Ship #INSKulish & #JMSDF Training Squadron ships JS Kashima & JS Setoyuki undertook Passage Exercise #PASSEX in Andaman Sea on 13 Jun 21,” the tweet said.
The spokesperson also noted in a separate Twitter post that the Indian Navy and JMSDF regularly undertake bilateral and multilateral exercises like JIMEX and Malabar.
The PASSEX Exercise that was last held in July 2020 is to promote mutual understanding between navies of the two countries towards the Malacca Strait in the Indian Ocean Region. It imparts tactical and communications training.
The exercise comes at a time when India-Japan defence relationship, guided by political convergence at the top, is exceptionally robust.
In November last year, India and Japan, together with US and Australia – the Quad countries – participated in the naval drill Malabar Exercise 2020.
The first ever Leaders’ level meeting of the Quad countries was held virtually I. march this year.
At the summit, the leaders sought to strengthen the moorings for peace, stability and well-being among the people of the Indo-Pacific and in the global community. The discussions also extended to post-pandemic recovery, resilient supply chains and maritime security.
India-Japan bilateral naval exercises also feature the biennial JIMEX exercise, the 4th edition of which was held in the North Arabian Sea in September last year.
India Tribune, as an English weekly newspaper, was launched in 1977 in Chicago by its publisher Prashant Shah with a lofty ideal to serve the Asian Indian community in the USA. Over the years, it has grown with all vigor, and now it is being published in three editions – Chicago, New York and Atlanta. India Tribune, a journal of its kind for the family in the USA, has been a household name for many Indians for over three decades with each issue commanding a readership of over 125,000.
