New Delhi: The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) hosted by the Indian Navy, commenced on Wednesday at Visakhapatnam.

It aimed to foster mutual cooperation and reaffirmed the shared commitment towards maritime security in the region, informed an official release.

The edition, being conducted at Visakhapatnam from July 5-10, marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) units under the command of Rear Admiral, Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander Escort Flotilla One, and Indian Naval ships under the command of Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet are participating in the exercise.

JIMEX 23 will witness the participation of INS Delhi, India's first indigenously built Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft, the release stated.

JMSDF will be represented by the guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters.

The exercise will be conducted over six days in two phases - a Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam comprising professional, sports and social interactions, after which, the two navies will jointly hone their warfighting skills at sea and enhance their interoperability through complex multi-discipline operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains.

Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, JIMEX 23 provides an opportunity to learn from each other's best practices and facilitates operational interactions between Indian Navy and JMSDF to foster mutual cooperation and reaffirm their shared commitment towards maritime security in the region, the release added.