India-Japan Maritime Security Pact: India and Japan have taken another major step to strengthen their defence relationship. On Thursday, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on maritime security cooperation between their navies. They also agreed to look at the possibility of working together on naval shipbuilding and design. The agreement came after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi.
The new arrangement is expected to improve cooperation between the Indian and Japanese navies. It will cover areas such as information sharing, maritime security, joint exercises and other naval activities. Both countries are also looking at ways to use Japan’s technical knowledge and India’s manufacturing strength for future naval projects.
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India is interested in several advanced technologies available in Japan. These include seaplanes, conventional submarines, marine engines and aero engines. Japan also has experience in military-grade semiconductors which are important for modern avionics and defence systems.
A major reason for the new possibility is Japan’s change in its defence export policy. Tokyo revised its Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology in April 2026. The Japanese government said the changes were made to further support defence cooperation and improve the security environment.
Earlier, the transfer of some Japanese-made military equipment was much more limited. The latest changes create more room for defence equipment and technology cooperation, although transfers still remain subject to Japan’s rules and approval process.
The latest India-Japan discussions also follow high-level political meetings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discussed defence cooperation in July. Their talks included cooperation in land, air and naval systems as well as unmanned vehicles and other systems.
Defence Cooperation Began to Move in 2024
India and Japan started making stronger progress in defence equipment cooperation in November 2024. At that time, the two sides signed their first military co-development and co-production project for a specialised radio communication system for naval warships.
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The system is called the Unified Complex Radio Antenna, or UNICORN. It is a mast-like system that brings several communication functions together on a warship. The equipment is already used by the Japanese Navy.
The two countries have discussed more defence projects since then. Progress, however, was affected by Japan’s earlier restrictions on defence exports. Those restrictions had been in place for decades and made some proposed projects difficult to move forward.
Submarine and Seaplane Plans Get New Attention
India and Japan had earlier explored projects involving conventional submarines and amphibious aircraft, but those plans did not move ahead.
The seaplane project is now getting fresh attention. In January 2026, India’s Ministry of Defence sought proposals for four amphibious aircraft for the Indian Navy. These aircraft would be used for logistics, long-distance search and rescue, special operations, humanitarian assistance and evacuation of injured people.
Japan’s ShinMaywa Industries makes the US-2 amphibious aircraft, which is among the options being considered. India had shown interest in the aircraft years ago. In 2018, ShinMaywa Industries and Mahindra Defence Systems had even signed an agreement for manufacturing and assembling the aircraft in India, but the project did not materialise.
