India and Japan have taken a significant step towards deepening maritime security cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation between their Defence Ministries.
The agreement, signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20, provides a framework for expanding practical cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and growing competition in the Indo-Pacific.
At its core, the MoA is designed to make maritime cooperation between the two countries more structured, regular and operationally useful. It provides for greater information sharing, particularly in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), along with cooperation in Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). This means the two sides will be better placed to develop a common understanding of developments at sea and coordinate responses during emergencies and disasters.
Why Maritime Domain Awareness matters
MDA is central to maritime security because it involves building a comprehensive picture of activities at sea including the movement of ships and other vessels. Greater information sharing between India and Japan can improve their ability to monitor developments across important sea lanes and respond to emerging security challenges.
For India, this has particular significance because of its strategic location astride major Indian Ocean sea routes. Japan, meanwhile, depends heavily on maritime trade and secure sea lanes for its economy and energy supplies. Both countries therefore have a direct interest in maintaining the freedom and safety of navigation and overflight.
The agreement comes against the backdrop of wider concerns over unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force or coercion. The joint statement issued after the meeting made clear that both sides oppose actions that impede freedom of navigation and overflight.
What does this MoA entail for the two countries
One of the most important aspects of the agreement is the focus on protecting Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs). These maritime routes are critical to international trade, energy flows and supply chains.
India and Japan have agreed to strengthen coordination through mutual visits by naval ships and units, joint exercises, personnel exchanges and Subject Matter Expert exchanges. The two sides will also explore logistical support, including the use of ports and maintenance and repair facilities.
This could gradually make naval cooperation more practical and sustained. Instead of limiting engagement to periodic exercises, the two countries are seeking to build a broader ecosystem of cooperation that can support naval deployments, training, logistics and maintenance.
The MoA also opens the door to greater cooperation in mine countermeasures, an area with direct implications for maritime safety and naval operations. Naval mines can threaten ports, shipping routes and naval vessels, while detecting and neutralising them can be complex and time-consuming.
India and Japan have agreed to maximise synergies by combining Japan’s technological expertise with India’s production capabilities. They will also explore the possibility of joint development in naval shipbuilding and design.
This is particularly important because the agreement links maritime security with defence industrial cooperation. Japan brings advanced shipbuilding and maritime technologies, while India is seeking to expand its domestic defence manufacturing base under the Make in India initiative.
The two sides also agreed to deepen discussions on using India’s production capabilities in defence shipbuilding and related areas. The agreement includes a commitment to advance reciprocal provision of ship repair facilities, with an arrangement on ship repairs expected to be concluded in the near future.
For India, this could create opportunities for greater utilisation of its expanding naval shipbuilding and maintenance infrastructure. For Japan, access to Indian facilities could provide additional options for supporting Japanese naval deployments in the wider Indian Ocean region.
The focus on repair and logistics is significant because sustained naval operations require more than ships and weapons. Access to ports, maintenance facilities, spare parts and technical support can determine how effectively naval forces can operate over long distances.
The MoA will also reinforce an already expanding exercise relationship. India and Japan conduct the Army exercise Dharma Guardian and the maritime exercise JAIMEX. The two sides are also preparing for Veer Guardian 26, the bilateral air exercise in which Japanese fighter aircraft are scheduled to visit India and participate for the first time.
The two Defence Ministers agreed to make future exercises more complex, incorporate unmanned systems and pursue joint exercises at short notice whenever opportunities arise.
This points towards a shift from largely routine interoperability activities to more flexible and operationally demanding cooperation involving emerging technologies and multi-domain capabilities.
The maritime agreement is part of a larger transformation in India-Japan defence ties. The two countries have already expanded cooperation in defence equipment, technology, exercises and strategic consultations. The shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system is being pursued as the first defence equipment transfer project between the two countries.
The Ministers also agreed to deepen defence research and development cooperation between India’s DRDO and Japan’s ATLA, and to convene a Defence Industry Forum.
MoA holds significance beyond India-Japan bilateral relations
The maritime MoA therefore should not be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a broader effort to build greater strategic and operational convergence between the two countries.
The agreement also has significance beyond the bilateral relationship. India and Japan are both committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and both see maritime stability as essential to regional prosperity and security.
Their cooperation with third countries is also expanding. The two countries welcomed the first trilateral naval PASSEX involving India, Japan and Indonesia, conducted in February 2026. They have also agreed to promote cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network, aimed at supporting partner countries during natural disasters.
The Ministers’ decision to establish a new Working Group at the Director-General/Joint Secretary level is intended to ensure that cooperation across operations, intelligence, equipment, technology and industry moves forward in an integrated manner.
In essence, the Maritime Security MoA gives India and Japan a more structured mechanism to convert their shared strategic outlook into practical maritime cooperation. Its importance lies not in a single new military commitment, but in the breadth of areas it brings together from information sharing and naval exercises to mine countermeasures, ship repair, logistics, shipbuilding and technology.
For India, it strengthens maritime partnerships with a key Indo-Pacific power while supporting its ambitions as a defence manufacturing and shipbuilding hub. For Japan, it deepens cooperation with a major Indian Ocean power.
Published - August 21, 2026 12:23 pm IST