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Japan, U.S., India to hold joint naval drill

TOKYO — Japan, the U.S. and India will hold their first three-way naval drill later this month, a Japanese defense official said Tuesday, amid efforts by Tokyo to boost ties with the region’s naval powers.

An Indian missile ship, two U.S. destroyers and three escort ships of Japan’s Self-Defense Force were among the vessels slated to take part in the joint exercise off Chiba prefecture on Japan’s eastern coast on April 16, according to defense official Yoshihito Fukabori.

The drill, which Fukabori described as a goodwill exercise, will consist of basic maneuvers and is not designed to prepare against specific threats, he said.

Japan and India promised to boost cooperation between their navies during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Tokyo in December.

Tokyo is Washington’s top military ally in the region, hosting 50,000 U.S. troops. The 7th Fleet has 18 ships permanently forward deployed in Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for stronger ties between Japan, India, Australia and the U.S., which he dubs “Asia’s Democratic G3 plus America.”