Japan has dispatched personnel to India to explore possible live-fire training involving Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) surface-to-ship missiles and small attack drones, GSDF Chief of Staff General Arai Masayoshi confirmed at a press conference on October 27.

“It is true that we dispatched personnel to coordinate various matters with India,” the head of the GSDF said.

The confirmation followed an October 21 report by public broadcaster NHK that Defense Ministry officials had traveled to India in mid-October and spent about one week inspecting test facilities and firing ranges. 

The missile system for any prospective exercise has not been selected, and no decision has been made to conduct the training. But the exploratory talks attempt to solve a new problem for Japan.

“When operating relatively long-range missiles, such as surface-to-ship missiles, how to conduct training that makes use of their range is a major challenge,” Arai said.

The service is examining how to secure suitable training environments in Japan while also considering overseas facilities, he added.

The issue is becoming increasingly important as Japan expands its stand-off defense capabilities. Acquiring missiles capable of reaching targets hundreds of kilometers away is only part of the challenge. Personnel must also be trained to deploy and operate these weapons effectively.

Japan’s newly deployed Type 25 surface-to-ship guided missile illustrates the growing training requirements.

The GSDF deployed the missile to Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture in March 2026. Its range is believed to be around 1,000 kilometers, compared with around 200 kilometers for the earlier Type 12 surface-to-ship missile.

On October 25, during Keen Sword 27, a large-scale Japan-U.S. joint exercise running from October 19 to 29, the GSDF demonstrated the Type 25 to reporters at a training area spanning Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. Personnel demonstrated procedures for deploying a mobile launcher and preparing it for firing, but no missile was launched.

Such exercises help troops practice operating the system, but live-fire training that makes full use of its range presents additional challenges involving safety, airspace, maritime areas, and coordination with relevant authorities. 

There is no confirmation that the Type 25 specifically would be used in India.

Japan has previously conducted surface-to-ship missile firing exercises in the United States and Australia. During the Philippine-U.S. Balikatan exercise in April and May 2026, the GSDF conducted such training in the Philippines for the first time, firing its Type 88 surface-to-ship missile.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro later told the Asahi Shimbun that the Type 88 was one of the leading candidates for acquisition by Manila.

Access to training facilities in India could further expand Japan’s overseas options while creating opportunities for closer cooperation with New Delhi.

“India is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, and we recognize the importance of promoting various forms of defense cooperation and exchanges amid an increasingly severe and complex security environment,” Arai, the GSDF chief, said.

Japan and India already conduct bilateral military exercises and cooperate with the United States and Australia through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, against the backdrop of growing concerns over China’s maritime activities.

However, the latest discussions concern possible bilateral arrangements, not an announced Quad military exercise. Potential Japanese missile training in India would add a practical dimension to bilateral defense cooperation. 

Asked specifically about small attack drones, Arai confirmed that training involving such systems was also among the possibilities being explored.

He identified several challenges associated with training involving these systems, including radio frequencies, training content, suitable locations, operational conditions, and safety management.

Training arrangements must also reflect when, where, and how the GSDF expects to employ the drones, Arai explained. The service is considering both domestic training environments and possible overseas alternatives.

The general said no decision had been made on whether overseas training would precede domestic exercises or proceed alongside them. Conducting live-fire training in Japan would require coordination with relevant local governments and other authorities, taking account of the training activities and safety requirements.

For now, the India discussions remain exploratory. Neither the location nor the timing of any prospective exercise has been announced.

As Japan’s weapons gain greater reach, deciding where and how to train with them is becoming a matter of diplomacy as well as military planning.