The Silicon Review ^Asia

India and Japan began their bilateral naval exercise on Sunday, in Visakhapatnam. This set of joint drills is a definite indicator of the improvement in the relations between both nations. The previous such exercise was carried out in December of 2013. This drill, dubbed the JIMEX-18 and the previous one, both mark the combined efforts of India and Japan and their mutual cooperation for regional safety. The naval forces of both countries have been working together to curb the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden, a region long known for pirates who target cargo freighters.

India would be fielding three of its indigenously designed vessels supplemented by a tanker. The ships that would be participating are INS Satpura, which is a multi-purpose stealth frigate, in addition to a corvette for anti-submarine operations called INS Kadmatt, and a fleet tanker named INS Shakti. For those people who are unaware, a fleet tanker is a ship that supplies warships with fuel and cargo for extended operations. Furthermore, a submarine, a naval patrol aircraft, and multiple helicopters will also be participating in this exercise.