Japan eyes deeper defence ties with Australia, India to ease supply chain concerns

Japan and India Deepen Defence Ties as Koizumi Visits New Delhi

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a two-day visit, holding a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, on Thursday (August 20, 2026). The talks are expected to focus on deepening maritime security cooperation and advancing defence equipment and technology collaboration under India's 'Make in India' framework.

According to India's Ministry of Defence, the two ministers will exchange views on closer defence ties and discuss new areas of collaboration. The meeting comes in the wake of Japan's revision of its Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology, which has opened the door for greater defence industrial partnership between the two countries.

Koizumi, on his maiden visit to India, began his trip by visiting the Western Naval Command in Mumbai on Wednesday. He met with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. He also inspected a Guard of Honour, laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard, and visited the indigenously built guided-missile destroyer INS Chennai.

The visit follows Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During that summit, the two leaders agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation, building on a relationship that has evolved from a largely economic partnership into a strategic one over the past decade.

UNICORN Co-Production Expected on Agenda

One of the key items expected to be discussed is the co-production of the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) mast for Indian Navy warships. The system, also known as "Nora-50," is a advanced composite radar mast currently deployed on Mogami-class frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.

According to a Memorandum of Implementation signed on November 15, 2024, Japan will provide design and engineering support for the UNICORN system, while India will handle integration, adaptation, and co-production through state-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL). The two countries formally announced the co-development of the system in July 2026.

The UNICORN mast is regarded as one of the most advanced weapon-grade composite radar masts in the world, and its co-production would mark a significant step in India-Japan defence industrial cooperation.

Japan's Shift Beyond US Reliance

The defence ministerial meeting comes amid growing Japanese doubts about its sole reliance on the United States for military needs. Analysts say prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and the Ukraine war could drain US stockpiles, affecting allies. Rintaro Inoue, a research fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics in Tokyo, was quoted as saying that "until recently, Japan assumed it could rely heavily on America in a contingency."

Koizumi's broader regional trip includes a stop in Canberra, where he is expected to hold a trilateral defence ministers' meeting with his Australian and New Zealand counterparts to discuss the proposed export of an upgraded Mogami-class frigate to New Zealand. In New Delhi, the focus is on defence equipment cooperation, including Japan's planned export of its Unicorn stealth communication system.

Structural Constraints on Deeper Cooperation

Despite the growing momentum, some analysts point to structural constraints that limit the depth of India-Japan cooperation. An analysis published by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and authored by Pratnashree Basu, an associate fellow, argues that factors such as the "geography trap," differences in strategic culture, threat hierarchies, an ambition-capacity mismatch, and institutional thinness continue to hold back the partnership. The piece notes that India-Japan cooperation is less integrated than Japan-Australia or India-France partnerships.

In a separate analysis, C. Uday Bhaskar, Director of the Society for Policy Studies, wrote in The Tribune that both nations share a deep anxiety about China but have not converted it into a deployable, deterrent capability. He invoked the historical Yoshida Doctrine, under which post-war Japan relied on the US for security while focusing on economic recovery, and argued that Japan today faces an inverse "China dilemma." Bhaskar noted that Japan's trade with China reached about $300 billion in 2024, with a $42.5 billion deficit for Japan, while India-China trade hit $127.7 billion in FY 2024-25 with a $99 billion Indian deficit. He also cited that India-Japan trade reached $22.8 billion in the same period, up from $5 billion two decades earlier.

Bhaskar further highlighted defence spending figures: Japan's defence budget increased from $48.5 billion in 2019 to $55.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to be about $70 billion in FY2025, roughly 2% of GDP. India's defence spending, meanwhile, declined from 2.25% of GDP in 2014-15 to 1.89% in FY2024-25. He also noted currency pressures: the yen traded at about 156 to the dollar and the rupee hit a record low of 96.98 in 2025-26.

Japan's offer to transfer design and production for six Mogami-class frigates under the Make-in-India framework, with potential BrahMos missile integration, has been reported, but this has not been officially confirmed by either government.

The meeting between Singh and Koizumi is expected to produce a roadmap for advancing bilateral defence and security cooperation, with both countries sharing a vision of a free, open, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific.