Deepening India-Japan maritime security ties vital to region

FORUM Staff

India and Japan will expand maritime security cooperation, including in mine countermeasures, information sharing and potential naval shipbuilding, reaffirming “their strong opposition to any unilateral actions that impede freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as to any attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.”

Meeting in New Delhi in August 2026, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said they will boost bilateral coordination to protect vital sea lines of communication. Initiatives will include joint exercises, expert exchanges, mutual visits by naval ships and units, and logistical support such as the use of ports and maintenance facilities.

“Such cooperation is vital not only to Japan and India, but also to the region and the international community,” according to a joint statement.

New Delhi and Tokyo have expressed concerns over China’s expansionist moves in the Indian Ocean and East China Sea, respectively, and have bolstered their fleets and maritime domain awareness capabilities.

The defense ministers met a month after the nations’ leaders announced collaboration on naval radio antenna systems — Japan’s first defense technology transfer to India — as well as emerging technologies with civilian and defense uses, such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

Poised to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, India and Japan are increasing bilateral defense exercises such as the annual Dharma Guardian, which has been hosted alternately since 2018 by the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The 2026 iteration, which was held in India in February and March and involved more than 200 troops, “strengthened interoperability and enhanced joint operational capabilities in counter-terrorism operations, urban warfare and combat drills in complex terrain,” the Indian Army stated.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is deploying fighter jets to India for the first time in September 2026 for Exercise Veer Guardian with the Indian Air Force.

The nations’ naval forces conducted anti-submarine warfare, missile defense, flying operations and replenishment drills during Exercise JAIMEX in October 2025. The domestically built Indian Navy guided-missile frigate INS Sahyadri made a port call at Yokosuka, Japan, after the engagement.

Koizumi and Singh also noted the nations’ first trilateral naval exercise with Indonesia in early 2026. To jointly contribute to peace and stability regionally and globally, they “concurred on further deepening cooperation with third countries, through high level exchanges, exercises and other relevant initiatives.”