Context: This year mark the 4th edition of India - Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX which will be held in the North Arabian Sea from 26th - 28th September 2020. JIMEX 20 will be spread over three days and is being conducted in a ‘non-contact at-sea-only format’, in view of COVID-19 restrictions.
About Japan India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX)

• It is a biennial exercise between the Indian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
• It is a series of exercises commenced in January 2012 with special focus on maritime security cooperation.
• The last edition of JIMEX was conducted in October 2018 off Visakhapatnam, India.
• JIMEX 20 will showcase high degree of inter-operability and joint operational skills through conduct of a multitude of advanced exercises, across the spectrum of maritime operations.
• JIMEX 20 is being conducted in a ‘non-contact at-sea-only format’.
• The indigenously built stealth destroyer Chennai, Teg Class stealth frigate Tarkash and Fleet Tanker Deepak will represent the Indian Navy.
• The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force will be represented by JMSDF Ships Kaga, an Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer and Ikazuchi, a Guided Missile Destroyer.

Significance

• The exercise is taking place in the backdrop of growing concerns over China's military muscle flexing in the Indian Ocean Region as well as in the Indo-Pacific.
• It will be the first military exercise after the two countries signed a landmark agreement (Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement - ACSA), that will allow their militaries to access each other's bases for logistics support.
• India has significantly expanded its deployment in the Indian Ocean Region with a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row with China. The maritime space around the Malacca Strait is critical for China's supply chain through sea routes.
• Recently, Indian and Australian navies conducted a passage exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR). A passage exercise is normally undertaken whenever an opportunity arises, in contrast to pre-planned maritime drills.
• In July 2020, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a USA Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship.
• Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Indian Ocean in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Other Military Exercises between India and Japan

• Annual joint land military exercise named 'Dharma Guardian'.
• Joint Air Force exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri'.
• Trilateral Maritime Exercise Malabar with the USA.

Additional Information
INS Chennai

• It is an indigenously-designed and built Kolkata-class third guided missile destroyer.
• It is the last of the ships in the Project 15A of the Indian Navy.
• It is equipped with vertical launch and long-range surface-to-air and surface to surface missile systems like supersonic BrahMos, ‘Barak-8’ Long Range Surface to Air missiles.

INS Tarkash

• It is the second of the three Teg-class stealth frigates acquired from Russia.
• It carries a wide range of anti-ship, anti-air and anti-submarine weaponry, including the supersonic BrahMos missile, 100 mm naval gun, optically controlled 30 mm Close-In Weapon System, torpedoes and rockets.
• It was built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.

INS Deepak

• The Deepak Class fleet replenishment tankers are in service with the Indian Navy.
• The Deepak Class will provide refuelling and replenishment for the expanding fleet of the Indian Navy and will also support the future blue-water capabilities of the navy.
• It can also be deployed in the transportation and supply of ammunitions, materials and provisions, as well as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
• The construction of Deepak Class tankers was carried out by Fincantieri at its Muggiano Shipyard and Sestri Ponente.
• It is equipped with storage facilities for carrying more than 15,000t of liquid cargo, including diesel oil, aviation fuel and fresh water.