The seventh edition of the India–Japan Joint Military Exercise Dharma Guardian was successfully conducted from February 24 to March 8, 2026, at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia in Uttarakhand, India.
The exercise is held annually and alternately in India and Japan since 2018, and has emerged as a significant component of defence cooperation between India and Japan. It aims to enhance interoperability, tactical coordination, and joint operational capabilities between the armed forces of the two countries.
A key highlight of Dharma Guardian 2026 was Exercise ASAHI SHAKTI, conducted as the Validation Exercise to assess the operational standards achieved during the joint training phase.
The validation phase included a 48-hour field exercise based on a simulated counter-terrorism scenario in the Chaubattia region, where joint forces from India and Japan carried out coordinated operations against terrorist threats. The drill tested combat readiness, tactical planning, and joint response mechanisms in complex operational environments.
The exercise gains added importance in the context of shared security challenges and the evolving threat of global terrorism, reinforcing the strategic partnership between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: PIB
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