Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and US and Indian navies
held?a?joint maritime drill on Monday in the Pacific
Ocean off central Japan's Boso Peninsula.
Four destroyers from Japan's Marine Self-Defense Force, two
destroyers and one depot ship from the Indian Navy, and two
Aegis-equipped destroyers from the US Navy took part in the
six-hour exercise, which included basic drills of communicating
among each other through radio transmissions and flag signaling,
Kyodo News reported.
It was the first joint military exercise among Japan, the United
States and India.
Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi was quoted as
telling a news conference that the "goodwill exercise" was aimed at
fostering trust among the three nations' forces and was "not
directed at any third country."
The three countries also intended to strengthen
counter-terrorism cooperation through the drills, Japanese foreign
ministry officials said.
Japan and India promoted bilateral military communications in
the past years. Chief of Staffs of Japan's ground, marine and air
self-defense forces visited India respectively last year, and
Indian defense minister also paid a visit to Japan in May.
During Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan
last December, the two countries agreed to promote bilateral ties
to the strategic global partnership level.
(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2007)
