Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ 

Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’

• India and Japan participated in the exercise "DHARMA Guardian-2023" in Belgaum, Karnataka.

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• It is a combined military exercise.
• It offers a rare chance for the armed forces of the two countries to work together in a way that strengthens the enduring ties of friendship between India and Japan.

• In terms of the security problems that both countries face against the backdrop of the current international situation, the yearly training exercise with Japan is essential and vital.
• During this collaborative exercise, the two forces will be able to exchange best practices for executing tactical operations under a UN mandate.
• It offers a venue for academic and cultural exchanges as well as social encounters, broadening their horizons in terms of knowledge and cooperation with a view to living in harmony throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
• This exercise's execution includes athletics, cross-training, and combat conditioning in real-world settings.
• It raises the degree of defense cooperation between the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Army and serves as a catalyst for several future collaborative initiatives to build on the successes already made.
• The first Dharma Guardian was introduced in November 2018 at the Indian Army's Vairengte Counter Insurgency Warfare Academy to advance military collaboration between India and Japan.

The importance of Japan :

• Japan's superior manufacturing capabilities may aid in the expansion of India's domestic defense sector.
• India can benefit from Japanese border infrastructure-building expertise.
• Japan provides significant development aid to India for specific projects. Bullet Train Project, for instance.
• Japan has also invested in India's Manufacturing zone and industrial corridors like Neemrana in Rajasthan.

Convergent Elements:

• Open Indo-Pacific: Both nations' prosperity and well-being depend on an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
• Hegemonic China: India and Japan are concerned about China's expanding military capability and aggression in territorial disputes.
• American position in Asia: The two countries are compelled to take action in order to defend and sustain the rules-based order in their region as doubt over America's future role in Asia grows.

Other exercises:

• Comprehensive Tri-Service Exchanges that India and Japan participate in the lead to frequent armed forces staff meetings between the two nations.
• Bilateral exercises including JIMEX, Bilateral Maritime Exercises, and Passage Exercises are regularly engaged in by the Indian Navy and JMSDF.
• Every year, the Indian Army and JGSDF take part in the bilateral exercise Dharma Guardian. Multilateral exercises like MILAN and MALABAR are examples.
• The first "Veer Guardian" took place in 2023 and involved meticulous planning and deft execution by the air forces of India and Japan.

Historical perspective:

• Long-standing spiritual affinities as well as deep cultural and civilizational linkages have been the foundation of India and Japan's friendship.
• The Todaiji Temple in Nara, where an Indian monk named Bodhisena performed the consecration or eye-opening of the enormous statue of Lord Buddha in the year 752 AD, was the site of India's first known direct interaction with Japan.
• Swami Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, JRD Tata, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and Judge Radha Binod Pal were notable Indians affiliated with Japan in modern times.
• The oldest organization for international friendship in Japan is the Japan-India Association, which was founded in 1903.
• Currently, Japan is Asia's most rich nation and India is its largest democracy.

Way forward

• The Indo-Japanese partnership has the potential to change the face of Asia and contribute to the preservation of an open and secure Indo-Pacific by focusing on shared interests.
• The economic front needs to be improved so that the demographic dividend of Asia as a whole can be used to benefit India and other Asian nations.
• A plan containing doable recommendations, like improving collaboration in counterterrorism, cyber security, and disaster relief.