India and Japan Sign Maritime Security Pact to Counter China

India and Japan expanded their defense partnership on August 20-21, 2026, during a maiden visit to India by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. In New Delhi, Koizumi met with Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to sign a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation. The pact enhances information sharing in maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance.

The two nations agreed to explore joint naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japanese technology with Indian production under the Make in India initiative. They also pledged to increase the complexity of military exercises, such as Dharma Guardian and JAIMEX, and integrate unmanned systems. A key milestone in this cooperation is the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system, the first defense equipment transfer project between the two countries. Koizumi also visited the Western Naval Command in Mumbai to review naval capabilities.

This security push follows a July summit between Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding critical minerals. Modi described the Special Strategic and Global Partnership as an anchor for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China criticized the move, stating that international cooperation should not serve as a pretext for forming exclusive cliques or stoking confrontation.