India-Japan military exercise begins in Mizoram

Armies of India and Japan began their first-ever joint military exercise on November 1 at a jungle warfare school in Mizoram's Vairengte with a focus on strengthening counter-terror cooperation, officials said.

The focus of the two-week-long exercise 'Dharma Guardian-2018" will be to enhance tactical skills against global terrorism and increase inter-operability between the two forces, the Army said in a statement.

The Japanese contingent is represented by 32nd Infantry Battalion, while the Indian side by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles, it said.

"The objective of the exercise is to build and promote Army to Army relation in addition to exchange skills and experiences of both the armies," the statement said.

The exercise will comprise a balance of indoor classes and outdoor training activities.

Both the armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in urban warfare scenario, it said, adding that the exercise will contribute immensely in developing mutual understanding and respect for each other's military.