Mogami-Class Stealth Frigate for India: India and Japan did not talk directly about the Mogami-class stealth frigate in their latest summit, but the idea is still not closed. During the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, both sides chose to focus on the wider defence relationship instead of one ship deal.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Mogami-class topic was not on the official summit agenda, but he also left the door open for future talks. Reuters reported that India and Japan signed agreements after the summit to deepen cooperation in defence, AI, energy, and economic security.
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Defence Partnership
The two countries said they want to work more closely in the air, on land, and at sea. That means more room for joint training, military technology, logistics, and defence manufacturing. The talks were not only about weapons. They were also about building a stronger long-term partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, where both countries see growing security pressure. Reuters said the two sides signed their first-ever defence co-development agreement during the visit, which made the summit an important step even without a Mogami deal.
What was Signed?
The Mogami-class stealth frigate is seen as one of Japan’s most advanced warships. It is built with high automation, stealth shaping, advanced sensors, and systems for anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures. It also needs a smaller crew than many older frigates, which helps reduce running costs. If India and Japan ever move ahead with this kind of project, it could support India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat goals through local production and technology transfer.
Even though that ship deal was not signed, the two countries did sign an important hardware project. India and Japan agreed to co-develop the UNICORN, or Unified Complex Radio Antenna, stealth mast system. This system is already used on Japan’s Mogami-class frigates, and the project will involve Bharat Electronics Limited, or BEL. Reuters described it as the first-ever defence co-development agreement between the two countries.
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What is Next?
The UNICORN deal may become the first brick in a much bigger defence bridge between New Delhi and Tokyo. Defence experts say this kind of cooperation can lead to larger shipbuilding and naval technology work later on. For now, the Mogami-class frigate has not been dropped. It has just been put on the back shelf while both governments build trust through smaller and simpler projects first.
