India–Japan Defence Cooperation: From Strategic Convergence to Operational Capability (MAINS)

09 Sep 2026

Tags: International Relations   Foreign Policies   External policy impacts

Source: The Hindu

Context: Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s August 2026 visit to India marks a shift in bilateral defence ties from largely institutional cooperation towards greater operational capability and implementation.

• Over the past decade, India and Japan have developed institutional mechanisms such as annual defence dialogues, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, military exercises, logistics arrangements and defence-technology cooperation; the current focus is on converting these into tangible outcomes.

From Strategic Convergence to Operational Capability

• Both countries share concerns over coercive attempts to alter the status quo, maritime security and increasing militarisation of the Indo-Pacific; the key challenge is now improving their ability to operate together.
• A new maritime cooperation framework seeks to strengthen information sharing, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), interoperability and operational familiarity.
• India occupies a central position in the Indian Ocean, while Japan is strategically positioned around the East China Sea and waters near Taiwan; information sharing can create a more continuous maritime picture across the interconnected Indo-Pacific.

Defence-Industrial Cooperation

• India and Japan are exploring joint development in naval shipbuilding and ship design, combining Japanese technological expertise with India’s production capabilities.
• Discussions will deepen on Japanese use of Indian production capabilities under Make in India and on reciprocal ship-repair facilities, potentially strengthening defence-industrial cooperation.
• This is significant because defence-industrial cooperation has historically lagged behind political and strategic convergence between the two countries.

UNICORN Communications System

• Japan has proposed the transfer of its UNICORN integrated communications antenna system, described by Japan’s Defence Ministry as the first defence-equipment transfer project between India and Japan.
• However, the project is not new: a November 2024 MoU was signed for co-development of UNICORN masts involving Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
• The present focus is therefore on implementation, reflecting the need to convert earlier agreements into actual projects.
• India and Japan had struggled to produce concrete outcomes from their 2015 agreement on defence equipment and technology transfer; early implementation of UNICORN and deeper cooperation between DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) seek to address this credibility gap.

Greater Operationalisation Through Exercises

• Japanese fighter aircraft are participating in Veer Guardian 2026 (September 9–22) in India for the first time, marking deeper air-force cooperation.
• The two sides plan to make exercises more complex, integrate unmanned systems, conduct short-notice exercises, and expand cooperation between Special Operations Forces.
• Cooperation is also being explored in relation to India’s future Integrated Theatre Commands, indicating increasing emphasis on joint operational preparedness.

Expanding Maritime Engagement

• Before visiting New Delhi, Japan’s Defence Minister visited Western Naval Command, Mumbai, and INS Chennai.
• The visit highlighted the importance of India’s western seaboard, beyond the traditionally emphasised Bay of Bengal and Strait of Malacca.
• The western maritime region is important for critical sea lanes, energy flows and India’s expanding interests in the western Indian Ocean.

Wider Indo-Pacific Security Architecture

• India and Japan reiterated opposition to unilateral actions that undermine freedom of navigation or attempt to change the status quo through force or coercion.
• While the message has clear strategic implications for China, India–Japan cooperation is increasingly broader than a China-centric framework.
• Key emerging areas include maritime security, resilient supply chains, defence-industrial capacity, logistics and cooperation with third countries.

Link with the Wider Strategic Partnership

• The defence ministerial engagement follows the July 2026 India–Japan Annual Summit, which expanded cooperation in economic security, critical technologies and resilient supply chains.
• Defence cooperation can connect these domains by combining India’s industrial and production capabilities with Japan’s technological strengths.
• Together, these efforts aim to build a more resilient Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Significance for India

• Operational capability: Moves defence ties beyond declarations towards practical interoperability.
• Defence manufacturing: Provides opportunities for technology cooperation, domestic production and naval shipbuilding.
• Maritime security: Strengthens India’s ability to build a wider maritime information and security network across the Indo-Pacific.
• Strategic resilience: Connects defence cooperation with supply-chain resilience, critical technologies and economic security.
• Regional role: Supports India’s broader objective of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific.