Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar has embarked on an official visit to Japan from November 5 to 9. He is scheduled to attend the International Fleet Review (IFR) conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of its formation at Yokosuka today.

In the ongoing Japan visit, the CNS will also attend the 18th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) as the Indian Navy is one of the observer navies in the symposium. The 18th WPNS is being hosted by Japan, as the current chair of WPNS, at Yokohama from November 7 to 8.

What’s More?

Apart from attending the IFR and 18th WPNS, CNS Admiral R Hari Kumar will also be present at the inauguration of Exercise MALABAR 2022. Exercise MALABAR, which also marks its 30th anniversary this year, is being held at Yokosuka with the participation of the QUAD nations- India, USA, Japan and Australia.

To participate in the IFR and Exercise MALABAR, Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kamorta also arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on November 2. The participation of these indigenously built ships in the multi-national events serves as an opportunity for India to display its ship-building capacity.

On the sidelines of the IFR, WPNS and Exercise MALABAR, the Navy chief is expected to meet and interact with his counterparts and other delegation from around 30 foreign countries. The visit of the CNS to Japan shows a high level of bilateral defence ties with Japan, as well as India’s strong support and involvement in multilateral activities.