India and Japan vow to enhance defence equipment and technology cooperation
New Delhi, July 2
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed Japan's review of the three principles on the transfer of defence equipment and technology and hoped that it would further deepen the defence partnership between both countries.
According to the Joint Statement issued after the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, which was held in New Delhi and attended by PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi, both sides expressed deep satisfaction that bilateral defence and security cooperation is on an upward trajectory. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation based on the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, adopted at the last Annual Summit.
"They directed their Ministers to hold the fourth round of the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo by the end of this year. They welcomed the progress made in the cooperation among the respective services, including the successful conduct of the naval exercise JAIMEX 25, supported by the two services on the Japanese side," the Joint Statement detailed.
India welcomed Japan's participation in the International Fleet Review 2026 held in Visakhapatnam. Both sides concurred on deepening maritime security cooperation through enhanced exercises, maritime domain awareness using satellite capabilities, naval maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) cooperation, and defence equipment and technology cooperation under the framework of 'Make in India'.
"The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction that an agreement has been reached in principle on the remaining technical details regarding the Unified Complex Radio Antenna ('UNICORN') project. They expressed their expectation for an early conclusion of the project and concurred on exploring ways to materialise other projects in the field of defence equipment and technology," the statement added.
The two leaders also welcomed the steady progress under the Quad framework and reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing practical cooperation.
"They underscored the importance of Quad collaboration across the four pillars of maritime and transnational security; economic prosperity and security, including critical minerals; critical and emerging technologies; and humanitarian assistance and emergency response," the Joint Statement highlighted.
They noted that growing bilateral cooperation in these areas would further strengthen and complement the Quad efforts and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating towards an early convening of the next Quad Leaders' Summit.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see the 'Make in India' framework being integrated into defence tech cooperation. But I hope we're not just acting as a market for foreign technology - we need genuine tech transfer and co-development. Also, the UNICORN project has been dragging on for years, so let's see if this time it actually materialises quickly.
As someone who follows global security dynamics, this is a smart move by both nations. Japan has excellent defence tech, and India offers strategic depth and manufacturing scale. The Quad framework ties it all together. The 2+2 ministerial meeting in Tokyo should produce concrete outcomes.
Finally some real movement! The JAIMEX 25 exercise and MRO cooperation will help our Navy learn from the Japanese - they're masters at naval maintenance. And having Japan at the International Fleet Review 2026 in Vizag will be a big deal. This is what strategic autonomy looks like - partnering with multiple powers. 👏
It's encouraging to see India and Japan deepening their security ties. The Quad's focus on maritime security, critical minerals, and emerging tech is exactly what's needed to counterbalance China's assertiveness in the region. Practical cooperation like satellite-based maritime domain awareness will make a real difference.
I hope this cooperation isn't just limited to hardware. We need joint development of cybersecurity and AI for defence too. Also, while tech transfer is important, India must invest in its own R&D rather than becoming dependent on foreign systems for everything. But overall, a step in the right direction.
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