Veer Guardian-2023: India-Japan’s joint air exercise to be conducted from Jan 12-26

New Delhi, India: With a vision to strengthen the air defence cooperation between the two, India and Japan will be conducting joint Air Exercise “Veer Guardian-2023” at Japan’s Hyakuri Air base in the following week. 

The “Veer Guardian-2023” air exercise is scheduled to be conducted between January 12 to January 26, 2023. Within this joint air exercise, India’s Su-30 MKI, two C-17s along with one IL-78 aircraft will be participating. From Japan Air Self-Defense Force(JASDF), four F-2s and four F-15 will be participating in the exercise. 

As per tweets from Indian Air Force.” An IAF contingent will be departing for Hyakuri Air Base, Japan, to conduct the first air Exercise, Veer Guardian 2023, which is scheduled to be held with Japan Air Self Defence Force between 12 to January 26 2023. The IAF will participate with four Su-30 MKI, two C-17 Globemasters and an IL-78 tanker.“ 

It’s been more than a month since the Malabar multilateral exercise was conducted, with India, the United States, Japan and Australia as participants in the exercise, from November 8-15 at Yokosuka, Japan. 

Earlier, in September 2022, six Indian ships, one submarine alongside P81, Mig-29K and Dornier aircraft participated in JIMEX 22, the bilateral exercise with Japan Maritime Defence Forces( JMSDF) ships, namely, Izumo and Takanami in Vishakhapatnam, Japan. 

It was also in September that the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard led a delegation to visit Tokyo to participate in the 20th High-Level Meeting between the Japanese Coast Guard and India.

 As Defence Ministry stated, the joint exercise is being conducted in India and Japan with an aim to establish a collaborative relationship to combat the marine crisis and develop regional cooperation.