Delhi: Japan changed its doctrine, will export jet-missiles and lethal weapons to India

New Delhi : Japan has given green signal to various projects for cooperation in the defense sector with India. Japan plans to allow exports of lethal military equipment, including missiles and jets, to India and 11 other countries. This move by Japan will give impetus to the efforts of cooperation in defense manufacturing between New Delhi and Tokyo.

According to a report by Nikkei, rules will be relaxed by March next year to allow exports to India, Australia and some European and Southeast Asian countries. Japan has established a doctrine for the transfer of defense equipment. It relaxed the rules under which exports were restricted in 2014. However, the export of lethal weapons is still banned.

This decision of Japan came after the Prime Ministers of both the countries met after the Quad Summit in the past. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida had agreed to enhance bilateral security and defense cooperation, including defense manufacturing, in a meeting after the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo.

India is one of the few countries with which Japan has signed a significant agreement for the mutual provision of supplies and services between its defense forces in order to promote closer military cooperation and contribute to security in the Indo-Pacific. Can you The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Army of India was signed in September 2020.

The Nikkei report said the Japanese government aims to increase resistance against China by cooperating with countries that have signed personal security agreements with Tokyo. These countries include Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, US, UK, Germany, France and Italy.

What is Japan’s 2014 doctrine?

As of 2014, defense exports to countries not jointly developing weapons with Japan are limited to equipment for rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and minesweeping missions. The new rules on defense exports will be part of the Japanese government’s policy on economic and financial management and reform. The new rules will be finalized in June. The principle of defense exports will be revised once Japan’s national security strategy is prepared by the end of this year.