Japan will deploy fighter jets to India for the first time next month in a move seen as part of Tokyo’s effort to deepen defence cooperation with like-minded countries amid rising regional security concerns related to China’s growing military presence. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) announced that it will participate in the joint Veer Guardian 26 air exercise with the Indian Air Force from September 9 to 21 in Rajasthan, western India.

As part of the exercise, Japan plans to send three F-2 fighter jets along with about 110 personnel from the Eighth Air Wing based at Tsukui Airbase in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Takehiro Morita, chief of staff of the JASDF, said the deployment will serve to enhance mutual understanding and trust between the two air forces.

The deployment follows a visit to India earlier this month by Japanese Defence Minister Shinzo Koizumi, who met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss further deepening bilateral defence ties. The two officials emphasized their shared goal of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Prior to the visit, a Japanese defence ministry official mentioned that the F-2 deployment could act as a measure to counterbalance China’s influence.

China’s state-backed media criticized the move, accusing Japan of trying to draw India into a frontline position in Tokyo’s strategic rivalry with Beijing. Conversely, experts outside the region highlight the significance of the exercises as a shift from political dialogue toward operational cooperation between the two countries’ air forces.

Jagannath Panda, who heads the Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, noted that the joint exercise underscores the interconnected nature of security challenges that Japan and India face, with India confronting China along the Himalayan border and Japan addressing increased Chinese military activities in the East China Sea and the western Pacific.

Japan and India are both members of the Quad security framework along with the United States and Australia. The group is widely viewed as a counterbalance to China’s expanding military footprint in the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific theatre. The Veer Guardian exercise was first conducted in Japan earlier this year at the Hyakuri and Iruma airbases, featuring India’s Su-30MKI and Japan’s F-2 and F-15 fighter aircraft.

Japan’s government has signaled its intention to accelerate military expansion amid intensifying tensions with China and increasing pressure from the United States for its allies to take on a greater share of regional defence responsibilities. The Japanese defence ministry is preparing a record budget request of 8.9 trillion yen (approximately HK$435 billion) for fiscal year 2027 to boost defence spending toward a target of 2% of gross domestic product.

A recent defence white paper issued by Tokyo described China’s military activities as an unprecedented strategic challenge and expressed serious concern over Beijing’s posture. The document also underscored Japan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral exercises with allies and like-minded partners across the Indo-Pacific.

Analysts emphasize the strategic message Japan aims to send with the deployment. Stephen Nagy, a professor of international relations at International Christian University in Tokyo, described it as a pragmatic step to build trust and operational familiarity beyond traditional bilateral frameworks centered on the United States. He suggested the move highlights Japan’s intention to play a credible role in regional security far beyond its immediate neighborhood.

Similarly, Liselotte Odgaard, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, noted that the exercise is part of Japan’s broader strategy to reinforce security partnerships to counterbalance China’s military expansion and coercive actions. The deployment also offers Japan’s air force valuable experience in long-range operations and expeditionary logistics, expanding its operational reach into South Asia.

Overall, Japan’s decision to deploy fighter jets to India reflects its evolving security posture amid a shifting Indo-Pacific strategic landscape, as it seeks to elevate regional partnerships and contribute to a collective approach to regional stability.