India and Japan recently began their “Dharma Guardian” joint army exercise at India’s Mahajan field firing ranges in the western state of Rajasthan. This is the fifth edition of the exercise between the Indian Army and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and will continue for a month, ending in the second week of March. The exercise, held in India and Japan alternatively, is a reflection of the enhanced bilateral security and strategic cooperation between the two countries According to a press release from the Indian Ministry of Defense, the goal of the exercise is to promote military cooperation as well as to “enhance combined capabilities to execute joint operations in semi-urban environment under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.” Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter deals with actions in relation to maintenance of peace, violations of peace, and acts of aggression. In the Indo-Pacific context, there are a number of issues that come into play including China’s belligerent behavior, its use of military force against India as well as in the South and East China Seas, and North Korea’s threats of use of military force against its neighbors.
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