Japan has been invited to participate in the annual Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal this October.
By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Alonzo M. Archer/Released [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Although Japan took part in the exercise last year, it was due to the fact that the exercise area took place in north-western Pacific. The previous Indian government had place restrictions to allow only U.S. ships to attend the exercise when it is held off the coast of India.