Japan and India Expand Military Drills and Defence Industrial Collaboration.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi. (20.08.2026)
India-Japan Defence Cooperation: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi meeting in New Delhi last week will significantly deepen the bilateral defence partnership between India and Japan. Operating under the umbrella of the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership, the talks focused heavily on ensuring regional stability, countering unilateral attempts to change the geopolitical status quo by force, and safeguarding freedom of navigation across the Indo-Pacific.
Maritime Security and Industrial Synergy
A major outcome of the high-level meeting was the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation. This new framework paves the way for closer coordination between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, particularly in Maritime Domain Awareness, humanitarian assistance, and search-and-rescue operations. Furthermore, both nations agreed to explore joint development in naval shipbuilding and design. By combining Japan’s advanced technological capabilities with India’s robust production capacity under the “Make in India” initiative, the two countries are set to foster a deeper defence industrial base.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi receiving ceremonial guard of honor in New Delhi. (20.08.2026)
Military-to-military engagement is scaling up rapidly across all three services. Beyond established drills like the Indian Army’s Dharma Guardian and the maritime exercise JAIMEX, preparations are underway for the upcoming “Veer Guardian 26” air exercise, which will mark the first time Japan Air Self-Defence Force fighter aircraft visit India. In terms of technology, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to the UNICORN integrated communications antenna system project—their inaugural defence equipment transfer—while boosting research and development collaboration between India’s DRDO and Japan’s ATLA.
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To ensure these ambitious goals move swiftly from paper to practice, Singh and Koizumi agreed to establish a dedicated Working Group at the Director-General and Joint Secretary level. This body will oversee coordination across operational, intelligence, and industrial domains. Additionally, both countries are preparing for the upcoming Fourth Japan-India Foreign and Defence Ministerial “2+2” meeting in Tokyo later this year, signalling a sustained, long-term commitment to regional security and mutual defence resilience.
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