India and Japan Flex Military Muscle with Expanded Exercise Dharma Guardian 2025 Amid China’s Rising Aggression

Tokyo, Japan – With China’s aggressive posturing in the Indo-Pacific and its frequent muscle-flexing across land and sea, India and Japan have sent a clear message: they are ready to push back. Exercise Dharma Guardian 2025, the sixth edition of the joint military drill, kicked off today at Japan’s East Fuji Training Area, bringing together company-strength contingents from both nations in their most extensive collaboration yet.

This year, the stakes are higher. China’s territorial ambitions, its maritime expansionism, and its growing military footprint near disputed regions have forced India and Japan—two of its most vocal critics—to ramp up their defence cooperation. Dharma Guardian has always been about counter-terror drills and urban warfare, but in today’s geopolitical climate, its significance extends far beyond mere training exercises.

A Show of Strength Amid Rising Tensions

At the opening ceremony, attended by India’s Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, and JGSDF 1st Division Commanding General Lt. Gen. Toriumi Seiji, both leaders made it clear that this wasn’t just a routine drill. It was a statement.

With Japan bolstering its self-defence forces in response to Chinese aggression in the East China Sea, and India standing firm against Chinese incursions along the LAC, this exercise serves as an operational and strategic counterweight to any potential misadventures by Beijing.

For the first time, the scale of Dharma Guardian has expanded to company-level participation, allowing for more comprehensive combat training. This year’s drills will focus heavily on:

• Counter-terror and urban warfare tactics are crucial in potential conflicts involving grey-zone warfare, hybrid threats, or asymmetric engagements.
• Simulated United Nations peacekeeping missions, mirroring real-world situations where both armies might need to operate in joint multinational environments.
• Interoperability drills, ensuring that Japanese and Indian forces can work seamlessly together in case of any future military contingencies.

Why This Matters: China’s Expansionism and Indo-Pacific Security

At a time when China is rapidly increasing its military presence in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and even the Indian Ocean, joint military drills like Dharma Guardian serve as a direct countermeasure to Beijing’s expansionist agenda.

Japan has been facing repeated provocations from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and Air Force near the Senkaku Islands, while India continues to grapple with Chinese transgressions in Ladakh. With both countries strengthening their military partnership, it signals a coordinated response to China’s attempts to alter the status quo.

Coincidentally, as India and Japan began their military drills, China conducted its own maritime exercise near New Zealand’s waters, deploying three warships to the Tasman Sea. This move raised eyebrows in both Canberra and Wellington, with Australia even calling it an “unusual” development. Airlines like Qantas were forced to reroute their flights, indicating the level of disruption China’s naval exercises caused.

Beijing dismissed concerns, claiming the drill was in line with international law, but its timing and location—far from China’s traditional areas of interest—suggest a larger strategy at play. It’s a reminder that China’s naval reach is expanding and that no country in the Indo-Pacific can afford to let its guard down.

India and Japan’s Growing Military Bond

India and Japan have long been wary of China’s ambitions, but their military collaboration has become far more pronounced in recent years. While Japan has historically relied on the United States for security, it now recognizes that stronger ties with India provide a vital hedge against Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

India, too, has shifted gears. While its past focus was primarily on land border conflicts with China, it is now actively engaging in naval and aerial partnerships to counter Beijing’s reach beyond the Himalayas. Dharma Guardian 2025 is part of this larger strategy—ensuring that India and Japan are not just military partners, but strategic allies against Chinese aggression.

Strengthening the Indo-Pacific’s Defence Network

The India-Japan military partnership is no longer just about bilateral cooperation—it’s becoming a key pillar in the broader Indo-Pacific security framework. With both nations aligning their military policies, exercises like Dharma Guardian could evolve into tri-lateral drills involving the U.S., Australia, and other regional powers.

For now, the message is loud and clear: China may continue flexing its muscles, but India and Japan are standing firm, together.