Three F-2 fighter jets from Japan's Air Self-Defense Force departed from Okinawa's Naha base on the 6th, heading to India.
After flying approximately 10,000 km via Thailand over four days, they arrived at Jodhpur base in Rajasthan, western India.
This marks the first time Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets have set foot on Indian soil, reflecting a rapidly growing trend of Japanese overseas deployments in recent years.
3-Line Summary
1. Japanese fighter jets traveled to India for the first time ever
2. Three F-2 jets flew 10,000 km from Naha base
3. Training with allies beyond the U.S. is rapidly increasing
Three F-2 Fighter Jets Flew 10,000 km
This deployment is to participate in "Bharat Guardian 26," a Japan-India joint aerial training exercise held at Jodhpur base in India from the 9th to the 21st. India is deploying its indigenous Tejas fighter, French Rafale, Russian Sukhoi-30MKI, and other aircraft to conduct air combat training with Japanese fighters. The two countries conducted their first "Bharat Guardian 23" training at Hyakuri base in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, in 2023, and this is the second time. However, this is the first time Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets have actually flown to India. Due to the physical strain of long continuous flights on pilots, they relocated over four days via Thailand. Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro stated at a press conference on the 8th that this deployment is "a measure symbolizing the deepening of defense cooperation between Japan and India."
Japan's Strategy: Not Relying on America Alone
The Air Self-Defense Force's exchange of fighter jets with other countries is relatively recent. The first time fighter jets from a non-U.S. country visited Japan for training was in 2016, when Britain's Typhoon fighter jets visited Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture. Subsequently, in 2023, Italian fighter jets visited Japan, and last September, four Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jets were deployed to the United States, Europe, and Canada for approximately two weeks. The deployment to Europe was the first at that time. In March this year, Dutch fighter jets conducted trilateral joint training with the U.S. and Japan at Misawa base, and in mid-month, four French Air Force Rafale fighter jets will visit Hyakuri base for joint training from the 15th to the 18th. Asahi Shimbun cited the Donald Trump U.S. administration's apparent distancing from the Indo-Pacific region as the backdrop for this trend. While maintaining the existing Japan-U.S. alliance, Japan is promoting a "multi-layered security network" that builds defense relationships in multiple layers with the United Kingdom, France, Italy, India, and others. A former defense ministry official stated, "The Air Self-Defense Force had a strong concept of only defending Japanese airspace and was not accustomed to going overseas, but the atmosphere is changing recently," and a current official explained that training with allied nations "demonstrates a commitment to cooperation that is more than just words."
References
Tags #fighter-jets #Japanese-fighter-jets #Air-Self-Defense-Force #F-2-fighter-jet #India #Bharat-Guardian #Jodhpur-base #Koizumi-Shinjiro #multi-layered-security-network #Japan-U.S.-alliance #Rafale-fighter-jet #Hyakuri-base #Misawa-base #Naha-base #China-containment