India and Japan have signed a new maritime security pact to deepen defence cooperation, marking a major step in their strategic partnership. The agreement was finalised during bilateral talks between India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singhand his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20, 2026.
What the maritime security pact covers
Under the new Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA), the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will work more closely on:
- Information sharing and joint operations, including regular naval exercises, ship visits and port calls.
- Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), with better coordination on surveillance, search-and-rescue, and disaster relief.
- Security of sea lanes, especially in the Indo-Pacific, to protect trade routes and energy shipments.
- Mine countermeasures and undersea security, as both navies seek to handle threats from sea mines and submarines.
- Joint naval shipbuilding and design, exploring co-development of warships by combining Japan’s technology with India’s production capacity.
The pact also opens the door for easier access to each other’s naval bases for maintenance, repairs and logistics support, making joint operations faster and smoother.
Defence technology and the UNICORN project
A key highlight of the talks was progress on the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) project, a cutting-edge naval radio antenna system for future Indian warships.
- UNICORN, also known as Nora-50, is an advanced composite radar mast that improves communication and stealth on warships.
- Under a 2024 agreement, Japan provides design and engineering support, while India handles integration and co-production through Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
- During the August 20 meeting, both sides indicated forward movement on joint production, aligned with India’s “Make in India” push.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed Japan’s recent review of its Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology, which relaxes older export curbs and allows more scope for co-development and co-production with partners like India.
Why this pact matters for the Indo-Pacific
The new India–Japan maritime security pact strengthens the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” between the two democracies. Both countries stress the need for a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific, where freedom of navigation, overflight and lawful commerce are protected.
Officials said the talks also covered possible future collaboration on:
- Drones and unmanned systems
- Advanced electronics, semiconductors and critical minerals
- AI applications and satellite-based maritime surveillance
These areas fit into a broader plan to build a stronger defence-industrial link between India and Japan, while reducing dependence on other suppliers.
What comes next
Following this pact, both sides are expected to:
- Finalise details on joint naval projects, including warship design and construction.
- Expand joint exercises and training for better interoperability.
- Work towards a 2+2 dialogue (foreign and defence ministers) by end-2026 to further align security and technology policies.
For India, the deal supports its goal of becoming a major defence manufacturing hub. For Japan, it marks a shift towards more active security partnerships in Asia. Together, the India–Japan maritime security pact signals a deeper, technology-driven defence relationship aimed at shaping the future balance in the Indo-Pacific.
