Context:

• Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Kaga, an Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer and Inazuma – a Guided Missile Destroyer arrived at Visakhapatnam.
• The JMSDF Ships under the command of Rear Admiral Tatsuya Fukada, Commander, Escort Flotilla-4 (CCF-4), would be participating in the third edition of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) with the ships of Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy (IN).
• The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in Dec 2013 off Chennai.
• The conduct of JIMEX-18 after five years is indicative of an upswing in the Indo-Japanese defence relations and the continued efforts of both Governments to work closely to enhance safety and security of the global commons in keeping with ‘rule based order’.
• It is pertinent to highlight that JMSDF is a regular participant in the Malabar series of exercises between Indian and US Navies. In addition, the ships of the two navies have been working in close coordination in Anti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) for the past few years.
• JMSDF Ships also participated in the recently concluded MALABAR 18 off Guam (along with Indian and US Navy units) in the Pacific Ocean in Jun and biennial multilateral exercise  RIMPAC-18 off Hawaii, USA.

Source:PIB