Japanese military delegation studies Indian wargaming and defence technology
Japanese military officers receive a briefing on Indian Army wargaming and simulation capabilities during their visit to India.(Image courtesy: X/@adgpi)
New Delhi: A 34-member delegation from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) command and general staff course visited India from October 4 to 9 for professional exchanges on military training, land warfare and emerging defence technologies. The six-day study tour included discussions with Indian military and research officials and visits to institutions involved in strategic studies and computer assisted wargaming.
The Japanese officers interacted with representatives of the Indian Army and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). They also visited the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and the Army’s Wargaming Development Centre (WARDEC), which develops simulation and decision support tools for military planning.
The delegation gained an understanding of India’s defence capabilities and training methods, the Indian Army said in a statement. The visit also included exposure to India’s cultural heritage.
“The engagement further strengthened professional military ties, mutual understanding and the enduring defence partnership between India and Japan,” the Army said.
Such study tours offer officers an opportunity to compare professional approaches and build contacts with counterparts. The Indian Army did not announce a new agreement, weapons transfer or operational commitment arising from the visit.
Professional exchanges are already part of the bilateral relationship. The two armies held their eighth Army-to-Army staff talks in Japan from April 22 to 24, reviewing existing cooperation and future interactions, as RNA Media reported earlier.
Defence cooperation expands beyond military exchanges
The latest visit follows talks in New Delhi on August 20 between the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi. The ministers agreed to establish a director general/joint secretary-level working group to coordinate cooperation in operational, intelligence, equipment, technology and industrial fields.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also met a delegation of Japanese parliamentarians led by Taro Kono of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in New Delhi on September 22. Their discussions covered defence technology collaboration, joint military exercises and regional security cooperation aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, according to the defence ministry.
They also signed a memorandum of arrangement on maritime security, covering areas such as maritime awareness, search and rescue and humanitarian assistance. Separately, the two countries committed to closer research cooperation between DRDO and Japan’s acquisition, technology and logistics agency (ATLA).
Their joint statement identified the shipborne Unicorn communications antenna system as the first India-Japan defence equipment transfer project. Both governments said they would work towards its early implementation, rather than announcing that the transfer had been completed.
The broader relationship also includes joint military exercises. Veer Guardian 2026 concluded at Jodhpur Air Force Station on September 22 after 14 days of training involving Indian Su-30MKI, Rafale and Tejas fighters and Japanese F-2A aircraft, as RNA Media reported earlier.
India and Japan have reaffirmed support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and opposed attempts to change the regional status quo by force or coercion. The visiting officers’ tour advances institutional familiarity within that partnership, without constituting a new operational arrangement.
