Japan To Send Naval Personnel To India For Long-Range Missile Launch Training

Japan's military chief has announced that Japanese naval personnel will travel to India for training in launching long-range missiles. The announcement comes amid Tokyo's ongoing tensions with China and Russia.

Japan's naval fleet is equipped with hypersonic missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometres, but its personnel have yet to practise launching them, according to the report.

India, meanwhile, has decades of experience in missile launches, with all three branches of its armed forces having tested missiles with ranges of up to 5,000 kilometres. The country also conducts such tests regularly, making it a potential training partner for Japan.

Like India, Japan has a long history of maritime disputes with China, with tensions at times leading to confrontations between the two countries' naval forces.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The two leaders discussed ways to expand defence cooperation between India and Japan.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu. Singh also shared details of the discussion in a post on his X account.

What Did Rajnath Singh Say In His X Post?

In his post, Singh said he was pleased to meet Koizumi on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus meeting in Cebu.

He said the two sides held meaningful discussions on reviewing their ongoing bilateral defence cooperation and exploring new opportunities to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Singh also emphasised the importance of their shared commitment to a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.