Japan is preparing to deploy its fighter jets to India for the first time, marking a significant step in bilateral defence cooperation under the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” framework.

The Japan Air Self-Defence Force will send three F-2 fighters and 110 personnel from the Eighth Air Wing at Tsuiki Airbase in Fukuoka Prefecture to participate in Exercise Veer Guardian 2026.

The deployment will involve a long ferry flight from Tsuiki to Jodhpur, routed via Naha Air Base in Okinawa and a stop in Thailand, with aerial refuelling support provided by the United States Air Force. The exercise is scheduled to run from 9 September to 21 September 2026 at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan.

The drills will focus on advanced air combat training, including simulated engagements between F-2s and Su-30MKIs. Takehiro Morita, Chief of Staff of the JASDF, emphasised that the exercise will enhance mutual trust and tactical understanding.

This marks the first time Japanese fighters will operate from Indian soil, following earlier bilateral exercises in Japan in 2023 where Su-30MKIs faced off against F-2s and F-15s.

The F-2, nicknamed “Viper Zero,” is a Japanese-developed multirole fighter derived from the F-16 but extensively modified with larger composite wings, indigenous AESA radar, advanced avionics, and strong anti-ship capabilities. It has been a cornerstone of Japan’s air defence since the early 2000s, alongside the F-15J fleet. Its deployment to India represents a shift from limited interactions to complex reciprocal training.

The Indian Air Force’s exact fleet composition for the drills remains unclear, though Su-30MKIs are expected to participate. Rafale fighters are not likely to be involved.

The inclusion of Su-30MKIs will provide Japanese pilots with valuable exposure to heavy thrust-vectoring Flanker-type aircraft, similar to China’s J-16. Conversely, Indian pilots will gain experience against an advanced F-16 derivative, akin to Pakistan’s fleet, with distinct radar and electronic warfare systems.

Such dissimilar training enhances pilot proficiency in both Beyond-Visual-Range and Within-Visual-Range combat, while exposing both sides to unfamiliar sensors and weapons. This builds operational interoperability and strengthens tactical adaptability.

Japan’s military posture is undergoing a historic transformation. For the first time in eight decades, Tokyo is expanding defence partnerships beyond the United States, with India emerging as a key partner.

The two nations have conducted multiple joint exercises, including Dharma Guardian in Uttarakhand earlier this year, and signed a landmark Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi in August 2026.

The maritime agreement provides for enhanced information sharing, joint search-and-rescue, humanitarian assistance, mutual ship visits, logistical support, and personnel exchanges. It marks Japan’s first dedicated maritime security document with any country. Both sides have also agreed to pursue joint development under the “Design with Japan, Make in India” framework, combining Japanese technology with Indian production capacity.

A new Working Group has been established to coordinate cooperation across operational, intelligence, equipment, technology, and industrial domains. This builds upon the 2020 Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement and expands logistics arrangements.

In July 2026, India and Japan announced their first co-development project to jointly produce the UNICORN integrated communications mast for warships, enhancing stealth and communications.

Japan’s April 2026 defence export policy overhaul formally ended post-war restrictions on lethal weapons sales. India welcomed the move, noting defence cooperation as a pillar of the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The new guidelines open avenues for Japanese warships, drones, and advanced systems to be exported. Japan has also pitched its Global Combat Aircraft Program, a sixth-generation fighter, to India. While India has shown interest in the France-led FCAS, it remains a dialogue partner in GCAP discussions.

Both nations face direct challenges from China. Japan encounters hostile PLA activity in the East China Sea, around the Senkaku Islands, and near Taiwan. India remains locked in a Himalayan border dispute, while Beijing arms Pakistan and cultivates ties with India’s neighbours.

Although neither country is expected to intervene directly in each other’s conflicts, closer interoperability raises the cost of Chinese coercion and signals strategic convergence.

Analysts argue that a strong India-Japan defence axis could create two-front pressure on China, with India bordering it to the west and Japan positioned off its eastern maritime approaches.

This collaboration has triggered alarm in Beijing, which accuses Japan of militarism and attempts to pull India into an anti-China coalition. Chinese state media has criticised Tokyo’s policy shifts, likening them to efforts to revive militarism and warning India against loosening constraints.

Japan’s latest defence white paper described China’s military posture as an “unprecedented” strategic threat and a matter of serious concern for the international community. It reaffirmed the importance of the US alliance but stressed the need to strengthen Japan’s own capabilities and partnerships with like-minded Indo-Pacific nations, including India, Australia, and the Philippines.

Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 thus represents more than tactical training. It is a demonstration of strategic intent, building practical interoperability and reinforcing the growing defence partnership between New Delhi and Tokyo at a time of heightened regional tensions.

Agencies