India-Japan Bolster Maritime Cooperation with JAIMEX 2025
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri, an indigenously built Shivalik-class Guided Missile Stealth Frigate, participated in the Sea phase of the Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JAIMEX-25) from October 16-18, 2025, in a significant boost to bilateral maritime ties. This was followed by a port call at Yokosuka, Japan, on October 21, 2025, for the Harbour phase of the exercise.
During the sea phase, INS Sahyadri teamed up with JMSDF Ships Asahi, Oumi, and Submarine Jinryu for advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare drills and missile defense exercises. The ships enhanced interoperability through complex flying operations and underway replenishment maneuvers, reflecting the growing synergy between the two navies.
JAIMEX-25 underscores the robust ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ between India and Japan, forged in 2014, aimed at ensuring peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region. The Harbour Phase at Yokosuka featured professional and cultural exchanges—cross-deck visits, joint operational planning, sharing best practices, and a combined Yoga session—to strengthen bonds between crews.
The port call is part of INS Sahyadri’s Long Range Deployment to the Indo-Pacific, reinforcing India’s strategic maritime presence. Commissioned in 2012, INS Sahyadri epitomizes India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) vision, with its advanced indigenous design. The frigate has consistently participated in bilateral and multilateral exercises, amplifying India’s role in regional security, stability, and cooperation.
The India-Japan strategic partnership, driven by shared interests in a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, remains a cornerstone of regional security architecture.
