Japan Eyes India for Testing Advanced Missiles and Compact Attack Drones

Japan Eyes India’s Missile Test Ranges for 1,000-Km Anti-Ship Missile, Attack Drones

Japan is exploring the possibility of using Indian missile testing ranges to evaluate its long-range weapons and small attack drones, as Tokyo seeks suitable facilities to train with its expanding arsenal.

General Masayoshi Arai, chief of staff of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), said Tuesday that Japanese officials had travelled to India to assess potential locations for training with the Type-25 anti-ship missile, which has an estimated range of around 1,000 kilometres, The Japan Times reported.

“We are currently examining this issue, including how to secure training environments domestically and, if necessary, how to utilise training environments overseas,” Arai said.

Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that officials arrived in India earlier this month and spent about a week inspecting several sites.

Japan Explores India for Attack Drone Trials
The assessment is not limited to long-range missiles. According to Arai, Japanese officials also discussed the possibility of testing small attack drones at Indian facilities.

Tokyo is developing a multilayered coastal defence network that will combine large numbers of relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles for surveillance and strike operations. The planned network will also include standoff missiles designed to strike targets from beyond an adversary’s engagement range, The Japan Times reported.

The proposed approach would integrate unmanned systems with long-range weapons as Japan develops its coastal defence capabilities. However, discussions about using Indian ranges remain exploratory, and no final arrangement has been confirmed in the reported statements.

India-Japan Strategic and Defence Cooperation
India and Japan maintain a Special Strategic and Global Partnership covering economic development, maritime security and defence cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

Their engagement includes discussions on defence manufacturing, emerging technologies and regional security. The possibility of Japanese weapons testing in India could provide another area for bilateral defence discussions, depending on the outcome of Tokyo’s assessment.

In July, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited New Delhi for the 16th India-Japan annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders reviewed their strategic partnership and discussed economic security, supply-chain resilience, defence manufacturing, artificial intelligence, clean energy and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Japan’s examination of Indian testing facilities highlights its search for suitable environments to train with long-range missiles and emerging unmanned systems, while underscoring the broader defence relationship between the two countries.