Defence Minister of Japan, Itsunori Onodera visits India; Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully launches a Prithvi missile.
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    • JANUARY 6- 12

    Reports noted that Defence Minister of Japan, Itsunori Onodera, was on a visit to India from 5-8 January 2014 and held meeting with Defence Minister of India Shri AK Antony as a follow up to the India-Japan Defence Ministerial Meeting held in November 2011. The two Ministers held a Defence Ministerial meeting on 6 January 2014. At the meeting, the two Ministers extensively and frankly exchanged ideas regarding regional and global security challenges, as well as bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges between India and Japan. They shared views on issues relating to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region. Minister Onodera briefed on Japan's National Security Strategy and the National Defence Program Guidelines, which were adopted in December 2013. The Defence Minister of India Shri AK Antony appreciated the detailed briefing. The two Ministers appreciated the progress on India-Japan bilateral defence cooperation and exchanges that had been achieved in a variety of fields and at various levels, including the holding of the third Defence Policy Dialogue which was decided during the 2011 Defence Ministerial meeting, the second "2 plus 2" dialogue and the second bilateral training between the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Indian Navy which was held from 19-22 December, 2013. The two Ministers also shared views on the necessity to conduct high- level and working-level regular consultations and exchanges, deepening Services exchanges and education/academic research exchanges and making other efforts, in order to further strengthen mutual trust and mutual understanding. The Defence Minister of India will visit Japan in 2014. 1

    In another development, according to reports, a missile unit of the elite Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully launched a Prithvi missile on January 7 from the test range at Chandipur, off the Odisha Coast as part of a scenario based live launch training exercise. The launch was flawless and achieved all its targeting and technical parameters set out for the training exercise. ‘The launch was conducted as a culmination to a strategic training exercise. The aim of this exercise was to validate our readiness by undertaking launches in various contingencies’, said an SFC spokesperson. Prithvi missiles are indigenously produced and are equipped with improved high accuracy navigation and manoeuvring system. Inducted into India’s Strategic Forces Command in 2003, the Prithvi missile, the first missile to be developed under India’s prestigious IGMDP strengthens India’s nuclear deterrence. 2

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