Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), embarked on a four-day official visit to Japan on Tuesday, as part of ongoing efforts to consolidate bilateral defence relations between the two countries under the framework of their ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership.’
During the visit, Admiral Tripathi is slated to hold wide-ranging discussions with senior Japanese government and military officials, including Minister of Defense Mr. Nakatani Gen, Vice-Minister of Defense Masuda Kazuo, and Admiral Saito Akira, Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The talks are expected to cover key areas such as maritime security cooperation, technological collaboration, and potential opportunities for strengthening naval synergy and interoperability between the Indian Navy and the JMSDF.
In addition, Admiral Tripathi will tour JMSDF units and interact with the Commander-in-Chief, Self Defense Fleet, at Funakoshi Base, with the agenda focused on enhancing operational understandings and exploring new avenues for cooperation.
According to an Indian Navy press statement, “The visit by the Chief of the Naval Staff reaffirms the commitment of both navies to maintain peace, stability and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. These engagements aim to further deepen the cooperation and mutual trust between the navies of India and Japan.”
This is because the visit comes amid growing convergence in strategic and maritime interests between New Delhi and Tokyo, with both sides emphasising the need for a stable, secure, and open Indo-Pacific.
India and Japan see eye to eye on the need to resolve maritime threats in the Indo-Pacific due to the increasing assertiveness of China in regional waters and growing challenges to critical sea lanes of communication (SLOCs), which are vital for both nations’ trade and energy security.
Both countries are also confronted by non-traditional risks such as illegal fishing, and maritime terrorism, prompting them to enhance joint naval surveillance, law enforcement, and technological cooperation to protect their strategic and economic interests.