India, Japan kick off 'Dharma Guardian' military exercise in Uttarakhand
India and Japan just kicked off their seventh 'Dharma Guardian' military exercise in Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
Both countries sent 120 troops—Japan's 32nd Infantry Regiment and India's Ladakh Scouts—to train together until March 9.
This yearly drill swaps locations between the two nations and is all about building teamwork for real-world missions.
What will soldiers train on?
Over two weeks, soldiers will dive into tough fitness routines, plan missions together, and run through tactical drills.
They'll practice setting up bases, running surveillance, managing checkpoints, searching buildings, flying heliborne missions, and handling urban scenarios—basically prepping for anything modern combat might throw at them.
Why does this exercise matter?
'Dharma Guardian' isn't just another training—it's a sign of stronger defense ties between India and Japan.
Both countries want to keep the Indo-Pacific region stable and secure.
With last year's edition held in Japan, this ongoing partnership shows how seriously both sides take working together on global security challenges.