India-Japan air exercise Veer Guardian signals growing strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific
Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 highlights India-Japan defence ties strengthening significantly. Japanese fighter aircraft operated from India for the first time during the exercise. This demonstrates growing trust and interoperability between the two Indo-Pacific powers. Defence technology cooperation has also gained momentum with joint projects. Both nations are committed to a free and open…
The recently concluded Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 has highlighted the significant progress in the strategic partnership between India and Japan. This latest edition of the air exercise marked a milestone as Japanese fighter aircraft operated from Indian soil for the first time, showcasing the growing military engagement between the Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
The exercise also demonstrated the trust, interoperability, and strategic alignment between the two Indo-Pacific powers, who share concerns about regional security.
Japanese Chief General Takehiro Morita flew a sortie in a twin-seat variant of India's indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, symbolizing India's technological innovation and Japan's appreciation for the country's growing aerospace capabilities. Indian Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh led a Tejas formation flight, highlighting his confidence in the indigenous platform and its operational maturity.
Both nations, being Quad members and committed to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, view Veer Guardian as a key piece of their defence relationship.
The defence relationship between India and Japan has expanded over the past decade, with joint exercise Dharma Guardian for armies and regular naval engagements through JAIMEX and MILAN. Defence technology cooperation has also gained momentum, as the two countries signed their first joint defence equipment project in 2024 to co-develop the UNICORN mast system for the Indian Navy's warships. This system integrates radar and communication antennas to improve a warship's combat effectiveness.
Japan's transport aircraft and maritime patrol platforms could present opportunities for co-development and co-production under the Make in India framework, potentially allowing Japanese firms to tap into India's manufacturing ecosystem. The recent visit of Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to talks with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh further strengthened the strategic partnership, leading to a Memorandum of Arrangement on maritime security cooperation.
Discussions also covered mine countermeasures, shipbuilding, reciprocal ship repair facilities, and joint defence research.
Looking ahead, both countries are exploring future combat aviation capabilities, with potential Indian participation in Japan's Global Combat Air Programme, a sixth-generation fighter initiative. This partnership, increasingly operational, technology-driven, and strategically significant, reflects the growing importance of India and Japan in shaping the security landscape of the Indo-Pacific region.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
