India–Japan Defence Cooperation: From Strategic Partnership to Operational Convergence

Context

The recent visit of Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to India underlined a shift in India–Japan defence relations from broad strategic understanding towards practical military cooperation. Discussions focused on operational interoperability, naval shipbuilding, defence technology transfers and greater industrial collaboration under Make in India.

India–Japan Defence Cooperation

India and Japan share a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, supported by mechanisms such as the Annual Summit, the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Although both countries have strong convergence on the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), implementation of defence cooperation has traditionally progressed more slowly than political ties.

Major Areas of Emerging Cooperation

1. Naval Shipbuilding and Ship Repair

• India and Japan are exploring collaboration in naval warship design and construction, combining Japanese expertise in marine engineering with India’s shipbuilding and manufacturing capabilities.
• Greater use of Indian shipyards for production, maintenance and repair could strengthen defence-industrial integration.
• Reciprocal access to repair and logistics facilities would also improve the operational endurance of both countries’ naval forces in the Indo-Pacific.

2. Transfer of UNICORN Antenna Technology

• The Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) is an integrated mast system that combines communication and radar-related antennas within a single structure.
• Its compact design helps reduce a warship’s radar cross-section, thereby improving stealth characteristics.
• Building upon the 2024 MoU involving Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), India and Japan are seeking faster implementation of the technology.
• The project is significant as it represents an important step in Japan’s defence-equipment and technology cooperation with India following Tokyo’s revised defence-transfer framework.

3. Stronger Defence R&D Cooperation

• Greater institutional coordination between India’s DRDO and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) can create a more reliable pipeline for joint research and technology development.
• Such mechanisms can address delays that affected the implementation of earlier defence technology-transfer arrangements.

4. Expansion of Joint Military Exercises

• Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 marked an important development, with Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft being deployed to India.
• Future exercises are expected to incorporate unmanned combat systems and drones, along with short-notice contingency drills.
• Greater coordination with India’s emerging Integrated Theatre Commands could improve joint operational preparedness across the three services.

5. Integrated Maritime Domain Awareness

• India and Japan can strengthen maritime security by connecting operational information from the Indian Ocean Region with developments in the Western Pacific and East China Sea.
• Such information-sharing can provide a broader picture of shipping movements and potential security threats along important Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs).

Key Challenges

Slow implementation of defence agreements:
The 2015 defence technology-transfer framework has not produced the scale of cooperation initially envisaged. Earlier projects, including discussions around the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft, encountered difficulties relating to cost, domestic production and technology-sharing requirements.

Japan’s defence-export constraints:
Japan’s evolving defence-export policy has created greater space for international cooperation, but constitutional considerations associated with Article 9 and domestic political oversight continue to influence sensitive defence exports and lethal-weapons cooperation.

Different industrial and procurement systems:
India’s emphasis on indigenous production, localisation and procurement procedures must be reconciled with Japan’s established technological standards, proprietary systems and defence-industrial practices.

Managing wider strategic dynamics:
India and Japan must preserve the momentum of their bilateral defence relationship even when broader Quad dynamics, regional political developments or economic and trade disagreements create uncertainty.

Way Forward

• Prioritise deliverable projects: Successful implementation of the UNICORN programme can establish confidence for larger technology-transfer and co-production initiatives.
• Develop reciprocal naval logistics: Institutionalising ship-repair and maintenance arrangements would provide practical support to naval deployments across the Indo-Pacific.
• Expand autonomous defence technologies: Joint research on autonomous underwater vehicles, maritime surveillance drones and other unmanned platforms can address emerging security requirements.
• Use the 2+2 mechanism strategically: The next ministerial 2+2 dialogue can establish a clear roadmap for theatre-level coordination, intelligence sharing and operational interoperability.
• Strengthen defence-industry partnerships: Greater participation of Indian and Japanese private and public-sector firms can transform bilateral cooperation from equipment acquisition towards sustained co-development and co-production.

Conclusion

India–Japan defence relations are increasingly moving beyond diplomatic alignment towards practical operational convergence. Cooperation in naval construction, defence technology, unmanned systems, exercises and maritime information-sharing can create a stronger security architecture spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The long-term value of this partnership, however, will depend less on the number of agreements signed and more on their timely implementation, technology absorption and sustained industrial cooperation.

Source : The Hindu