JIMEX 20 Maritime Exercise | 26 Sep 2020

Why in News

The 4^th edition of India - Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX will be held in the North Arabian Sea from 26^th - 28^th September 2020.

Key Points

• About JIMEX Exercise:
  
  • JIMEX series of exercises commenced in January 2012 with special focus on maritime security cooperation.
  • It is conducted biennially between the Indian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
  • The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in October 2018 off Visakhapatnam, India.
• JIMEX 20:
  
  • Multi-faceted tactical exercises involving weapon firings, cross deck helicopter operations and complex surface, anti-submarine and air warfare drills will consolidate coordination developed by the two navies.
  • Indigenously built stealth destroyer Chennai, Teg Class stealth frigate Tarkash and Fleet Tanker Deepak will represent the Indian Navy.
  • P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft will also participate in the exercise.
• Significance:
  
  • The exercise is taking place in the backdrop of growing concerns over China's military muscle flexing in the Indian Ocean Region as well as in the Indo-Pacific.
  • It will be the first military exercise after the two countries signed a landmark agreement (Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement - ACSA), that will allow their militaries to access each other's bases for logistics support.
  • India has significantly expanded its deployment in the Indian Ocean Region with a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row with China. The maritime space around the Malacca Strait is critical for China's supply chain through sea routes.
    
    • Recently, Indian and Australian navies conducted a passage exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR). A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills.
    • In July 2020, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a USA Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
      
      • The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship.
      • Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Indian Ocean in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• Other Military Exercises between India and Japan:
  
  • Annual joint land military exercise named 'Dharma Guardian'.
  • Joint Air Force exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri'.
  • Trilateral Maritime Exercise Malabar with the USA.

Source: PIB