India, Japan pact on using each other’s military bases

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 10

India and Japan on Thursday announced they had signed an agreement allowing the forces of either country to seek supplies and services at each other’s bases. This would include fuel, spares and services like food and water.

This means Indian military planes and warships plying in the far-east can land or dock at any Japanese defence station. This extends the reach of operations for India. Conversely, the Japanese warships or military planes can use Indian facilities.

Modi calls up Abe

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• PM Modi rang up Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, hailing signing of the pact
• The leaders said it would ensure peace, security in Indo-Pacific
• Supplies will include fuel, spares and services like food and water

With this, India has completed arrangements of sharing military logistics with the other three members of the ‘Quad’ or Quadilateral, an emerging alliance of India, US, Japan and Australia.

India and Japan signed an agreement on “reciprocal provision of supplies and services between forces of both countries”, a statement of the Indian Ministry of Defence said. The agreement was signed in New Delhi on Wednesday by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki.

The pact establishes a framework for cooperation between the armed forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, UN peacekeeping operations and international relief.

The pact will also enhance the interoperability between the armed forces of India and Japan, thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ between the two countries, said the statement.