India, Japan sign Maritime Security Pact, deepen Defence cooperation

India and Japan on Thursday agreed to deepen defence and maritime security cooperation, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi signing a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi.According to agency reports,the agreement provides a framework for closer cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including information sharing on Maritime Domain Awareness, search and rescue operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

#WATCH | Delhi | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during their bilateral meeting on India-Japan defence cooperation https://t.co/eI31z1gmz8 pic.twitter.com/FuV91Dy47H

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2026

The two ministers reviewed the expanding bilateral defence partnership under the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.They stressed the importance of sharing assessments of the regional security environment and opposed unilateral actions that could undermine freedom of navigation and overflight or seek to alter the status quo through force or coercion.
India and Japan also agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation through naval visits, joint exercises, personnel exchanges and logistical support, including access to ports and repair facilities. They will explore joint opportunities in naval shipbuilding by combining Japan’s technology with India’s production capabilities.The two sides welcomed the continued expansion of military exercises, including Dharma Guardian and JAIMEX, and preparations for Veer Guardian 26. For the first time, Japanese fighter aircraft will participate in the air exercise in India.
The ministers also discussed greater cooperation in defence technology. They identified the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system as an important project and agreed to work towards its early implementation.India’s DRDO and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency will deepen cooperation in advanced defence technologies, while the two countries will also establish a Defence Industry Forum.Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation with third countries in the Indo-Pacific and welcomed the first trilateral naval PASSEX involving India, Japan and Indonesia, held in February.The two countries will establish a Working Group at the Director-General/Joint Secretary level to coordinate cooperation in operational, intelligence, equipment, technology and industrial areas.The ministers also agreed to accelerate discussions for the fourth Japan-India Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting (2+2), expected to be held in Tokyo this year.