Japan is set to deploy its Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets to India for the first time later this month, marking a major milestone in bilateral defence cooperation, Bharat Shakti reported.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from China, which views the exercise as part of Tokyo’s effort to strengthen military coordination with New Delhi against Beijing.

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is scheduled to visit India and Australia from 17 August. During his stop in New Delhi, he is expected to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with the deployment of Japan Air Self-Defence Force F-2 fighters forming a key agenda item.

If confirmed, this will be the first time Japanese fighter aircraft are deployed to India for bilateral training. The two countries previously held their maiden joint fighter exercise in Japan in 2023, underscoring the steady expansion of defence ties.

Chinese state media, particularly Global Times, has portrayed the deployment as a signal aimed at countering China. Officials from Japan’s Ministry of Defence have openly linked the exercise to strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.

Analysts in China argue that Tokyo is attempting to shed its post-war constraints and evolve into a “normal” military power, while India seeks access to Japanese defence technologies and industrial expertise.

Liu Zongyi of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies noted that the partnership is driven by converging strategic interests rather than ideology, with both sides leveraging cooperation to advance their own objectives.

Japan’s recent relaxation of restrictions on lethal defence exports has enabled military sales and technology transfers to countries like India. At the India-Japan summit in July, both sides reached a broad understanding on exporting Japan’s UNICORN integrated communications antenna system for the Indian Navy. Wider defence equipment cooperation, including potential joint development of drones equipped with artificial intelligence, is also under discussion.

The Mitsubishi F-2, jointly developed with the United States from the F-16 platform, is Japan’s indigenous multirole combat aircraft. It incorporates advanced composite materials, a larger wingspan, and enhanced manoeuvrability compared to its predecessor. Its deployment to India highlights Tokyo’s intent to expand operational cooperation and signal strategic resolve in the Indo-Pacific.

China has warned against India being drawn into what it calls an “anti-China frontline.” Global Times cautioned that Japan’s framing of the exercise as part of efforts to counter Beijing risks pulling New Delhi into Tokyo’s geopolitical rivalry.

Beijing has also repeated its longstanding criticism of Japan’s expanding security role, linking it to wartime history and accusing Tokyo of militarisation.

Despite Chinese concerns, India and Japan continue to deepen defence cooperation through regular military exercises, logistics agreements, and defence-industrial collaboration.

The reported F-2 deployment reflects the broader strategic convergence between the two Quad partners, both seeking to uphold a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing assertiveness.

Agencies