Japan explores India’s missile testing facilities for drone and long-range weapons

Japan has sent a military delegation to India to explore training facilities for its Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF), including sites where personnel could practise using long-range missiles and small attack drones, The Japan Times reported.

GSDF Chief of Staff General Masayoshi Arai confirmed the visit during a press conference on October 27, saying Japanese personnel had been sent to India to discuss arrangements for training.

“We had dispatched personnel to coordinate various matters with India,” Arai said.

Japan is seeking suitable locations to train personnel to operate its Type-25 missile system, which has a range of around 1,000 kilometres. Finding adequate space to conduct such training has emerged as a challenge as Tokyo expands its long-range strike capabilities.

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

Japan’s growing focus on stand-off weapons, which can strike targets from considerable distances, has increased the need for suitable training areas. The challenge is to prepare personnel to deploy and operate these systems effectively.

India could offer an option through its missile testing infrastructure at Chandipur in Odisha, where tests are conducted along the coast using the Bay of Bengal. The facilities are also used for testing long-range missile systems.

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Japan calls India an important defence partner

Access to Indian training facilities could expand Japan’s options while creating opportunities for closer defence cooperation between the two countries.

Japan’s Defence White Paper 2026, released on October 26, described India as an “extremely important country” and identified defence equipment and technology cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral ties.

The document highlighted India’s strategic location along major shipping routes, including the Strait of Malacca, as well as its growing economic strength and military capabilities.

“Japan considers defence equipment and technology cooperation with India as important,” the white paper said, linking the cooperation to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.

Arai also stressed the importance of ties with New Delhi, saying: “India is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, and we recognise the importance of promoting various forms of defence cooperation and exchanges amid an increasingly severe and complex security environment.”