Archive · 21 Aug 2026
India and Japan Map Expanded Maritime Defence Cooperation
India and Japan want their navies to work more closely together.
They signed an agreement about sharing information at sea and helping during rescues or disasters.
Their ships may visit each other’s ports and take part in more exercises.
The countries also want to study building naval ships together.
Japan may use India’s shipbuilding facilities under the Make in India programme.
They are discussing ways for ships from both countries to receive repairs in each other’s facilities.
The UNICORN antenna is an early project for transferring defence technology between them.
The partnership is also meant to help protect important sea routes.
The discussions come as both countries pay closer attention to security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and East Asia.
India and Japan signed a maritime-security arrangement covering information sharing, exercises, rescue operations and disaster relief.
The countries will explore joint naval-ship development, ship design and greater Japanese use of Indian shipbuilding under Make in India.
They agreed to pursue reciprocal access to naval ship-repair facilities, ports and logistical support.
The UNICORN communications antenna project is being developed as the first India-Japan defence-equipment transfer project.
The roadmap includes expanded military exercises, personnel exchanges and defence research cooperation amid regional security concerns.
- Who
- India and Japan, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
- What
- They signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation and outlined plans for closer maritime, defence-industrial and technology cooperation.
- When
- The agreement and ministerial talks took place on a Thursday; Japan’s defence-equipment transfer policy changes were approved on 21 April, according to one report.
- Where
- The ministerial talks took place in New Delhi; Koizumi also visited India’s Western Naval Command in Mumbai.
- Why
- The countries want to strengthen maritime security, protect sea lines of communication, expand defence-industrial cooperation and respond to changing regional security conditions.
- Maritime agreement
- A Memorandum of Arrangement establishes a framework for cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
- Planned maritime activities
- The agreement covers Maritime Domain Awareness information sharing, naval exercises, ship and personnel visits, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
- Shipbuilding
- India and Japan will explore joint development of naval ships and designs, combining Japanese technological expertise with Indian production capabilities.
- Make in India
- The countries will examine greater Japanese use of India’s shipbuilding capabilities under the Make in India framework.
- Repair and logistics
- They agreed to work toward reciprocal ship-repair facilities, port access and other logistical support.
- UNICORN
- The shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system is being pursued as the first India-Japan defence-equipment transfer project.
- Defence cooperation
- The ministers also affirmed plans for defence research cooperation between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency.
