On August 20, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held talks in New Delhi and signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation, giving fresh momentum to cooperation between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
India and Japan are strengthening their defence partnership with a shared vision of a free, open, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The momentum follows Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit in July to New Delhi, where both sides agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation.
Defence Minister Koizumi’s maiden India visit also focused on defence technology, shipbuilding, military exercises and defence industry cooperation, further strengthening strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
The Japanese Defence Minister began his India visit on August 19 in Mumbai, where he visited the Western Naval Command. Defence Minister Koizumi held discussions with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan. The Japanese delegation was briefed on the roles, responsibilities and operational capabilities of the Indian Navy.
During the visit, Defence Minister Koizumi inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command. He had earlier laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard and also visited INS Chennai, the indigenously built Indian Navy ship. The Mumbai leg of the visit provided a direct maritime dimension to the engagement before the Japanese Defence Minister travelled to New Delhi for the ministerial-level talks.
Before the talks, Defence Minister Koizumi paid homage to India’s fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. He was also received with a ceremonial Tri-Service Guard of Honour. The two ministers reviewed the growing defence cooperation between India and Japan and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Recalling the July 2026 Joint Statement, they pledged to further deepen defence ties towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. Both ministers also voiced strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force or coercion, and to actions that impede freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.
One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was the signing of the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation between the two ministries. The arrangement establishes a framework for advancing practical maritime security cooperation. It specifically provides for stronger cooperation between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including information sharing in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
The two countries will also enhance cooperation in Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). The agreement comes against the backdrop of growing attention to maritime security and the protection of vital sea routes in the Indo-Pacific. India and Japan agreed to strengthen coordination for the protection of Sea Lines of Communications. This will include mutual visits by naval ships and units, joint exercises, exchanges of personnel and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), as well as logistical support involving ports and maintenance and repair facilities.
Both sides also agreed to move swiftly towards practical maritime cooperation that meets their strategic and operational requirements. They will explore ways to enhance mine countermeasures capabilities and examine the possibility of joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japan’s technological expertise with India’s production capabilities. The two countries will also deepen discussions on Japan’s use of Indian production capabilities under the Make in India framework. In another important step, both sides agreed to progress towards reciprocal provision of ship repair facilities, including a ship repair arrangement in the near future.
India and Japan agreed to deepen defence technology and military cooperation as part of their growing strategic partnership.This builds on Japan’s recent revision of its Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology, which Indian Defence Minister welcomed as a step that would help unlock further defence-industrial collaboration between the two countries.Both sides focused on the UNICORN shipborne communications system, the first defence equipment transfer project between India and Japan. They also agreed to expand cooperation between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), and to hold a Defence Industry Forum.
Military cooperation will continue through exercises such as Dharma Guardian, Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JAIMEX) and Veer Guardian 26. For the first time, Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) fighter aircrafts are set to participate in Veer Guardian 26 in India. Future exercises will also explore unmanned systems, Special Operations Forces and cooperation with India’s integrated theatre commands.India and Japan are expanding their defence partnership beyond bilateral cooperation to strengthen regional security. The two countries welcomed the first trilateral naval PASSEX (Passage Exercise) involving India, Japan and Indonesia in February 2026 and agreed to increase cooperation with other regional partners through high-level exchanges and military exercises.
They will also strengthen the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN), which supports disaster response by facilitating the movement of personnel and supplies. The second IPLN tabletop exercise is scheduled for September 2026 in Japan. The ministers also agreed to work towards the Fourth Japan-India Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting, known as 2+2, in Tokyo later this year. A new Working Group at the Director-General/Joint Secretary level will coordinate cooperation in areas including operations, intelligence, equipment, technology and defence industry.
