New Delhi: India and Japan have signed a new maritime security cooperation arrangement and agreed to explore joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, as the two countries move to deepen defence cooperation across maritime operations, military exercises, technology and defence manufacturing.
The decisions were taken during a bilateral meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20.
The two ministers reviewed defence cooperation under the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and agreed to strengthen coordination amid evolving regional and global security challenges.
During the meeting, India’s Ministry of Defence and Japan’s Ministry of Defense signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation.
The arrangement provides a framework for closer cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including information sharing in Maritime Domain Awareness, Search and Rescue, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.
Both sides also agreed to strengthen coordination for protecting Sea Lines of Communications through visits by naval ships and units, joint exercises, exchanges of personnel and experts, and logistical support.
The cooperation may also involve the use of ports, maintenance and repair facilities and other forms of operational coordination between the two maritime forces.
India and Japan agreed to explore the possibility of joint development in naval shipbuilding and design by combining Japan’s technological capabilities with India’s production capacity.
The two countries will also deepen discussions on Japan utilising Indian manufacturing capabilities under the Make in India framework for defence shipbuilding and related areas.
Both sides further agreed to work towards the reciprocal provision of ship repair facilities, including the possible conclusion of a ship repair arrangement in the near future.
India and Japan also agreed to strengthen cooperation in mine countermeasures capabilities as part of their expanding maritime defence partnership.
The ministers reviewed ongoing bilateral military exercises, including the Army exercise Dharma Guardian and the Japan-India Maritime Exercise, or JAIMEX.
Preparations were also discussed for Veer Guardian 26, an air exercise scheduled to be held in India in 2026. Japanese fighter aircraft are expected to visit India and participate in an exercise in the country for the first time.
Both countries agreed to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises, integrate unmanned systems and explore opportunities for conducting exercises at short notice.
The two sides will also promote exchanges between their Special Operations Forces. Japan has agreed to pursue cooperation with India’s integrated theatre commands after such commands are established.
Defence equipment and technology cooperation was another major area discussed during the meeting.
The ministers highlighted the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system project, described as the first defence equipment transfer project between India and Japan, and agreed to work towards its early implementation.
Both sides also agreed to advance discussions on additional defence equipment and technology projects based on the operational requirements of their respective armed forces.
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) are expected to deepen cooperation in advanced defence technologies. The two countries also confirmed plans to convene a Defence Industry Forum.
The meeting also reviewed wider Indo-Pacific defence cooperation.
India and Japan welcomed the first trilateral naval PASSEX involving India, Japan and Indonesia, held in February 2026, and agreed to strengthen cooperation with third countries through military exercises and high-level exchanges.
The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation under the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network, which is aimed at facilitating the movement of personnel and supplies during natural disasters. The network’s second tabletop exercise is scheduled to be held at Japan’s Ministry of Defense in September 2026.
India and Japan further agreed to accelerate discussions for holding the fourth India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting, known as the 2+2 dialogue, in Tokyo in 2026.
A new Working Group headed at the Director-General/Joint Secretary level will also be established to coordinate cooperation across operational, intelligence, defence equipment, technology and industrial areas and accelerate implementation of bilateral defence initiatives.
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