The first ever India-Japan-U.S. trilateral dialogue on Dec. 18 on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region could be the start of a transformation in strategic relations among the major democracies of Asia that has a lasting impact on the peace and prosperity of the region. However, translating mere dialogue into meaningful action will require the identification of concrete steps the three nations can take to deepen their security ties and advance their shared vision for the future of the region.
The India-Japan-U.S. strategic triangle is based on a set of strengthening bilateral relationships. The U.S. and Japan are treaty allies who share key regional security objectives and engage in close defense cooperation, including the transfer of advanced weapons systems. India and Japan established a strategic partnership in 2006 that has been buttressed by joint naval exercises and regular bilateral security dialogues between service chiefs and the countries' prime ministers.
With more than 60 joint military exercises undertaken in the past decade, Indo-U.S. ties are underpinned by a ten-year defense pact that advanced intelligence sharing, military technology transfers, and arms sales. The three nations have a broad range of common interests and concerns in diverse areas such as maritime security, nuclear nonproliferation and the future security architecture of the Indo-Pacific region.