India and Japan Sign Maritime Security Arrangement in New Delhi

India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation on 20 August 2026 in New Delhi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi signed the document after their bilateral meeting. The arrangement creates a framework for practical cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The agreement focuses on Maritime Domain Awareness, search and rescue operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The two sides also committed to stronger coordination to protect sea lines of communication through ship visits, joint exercises, personnel exchanges and logistical support, including use of ports and repair facilities.

Both ministers expressed opposition to unilateral actions that impede freedom of navigation and overflight, and to attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

India and Japan will explore joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japanese technology with Indian production capacity. They will also discuss greater use of Indian shipyards for maintenance under the Make in India programme.

The ministers welcomed the expansion of existing bilateral exercises such as Dharma Guardian and JAIMEX, and noted the planned Veer Guardian air exercise in 2026.

The arrangement comes as both countries seek to stabilise the Indo-Pacific amid heightened regional tensions. Japan has revised its principles on defence equipment transfers to allow more exports, and the two sides discussed possible equipment cooperation, including minesweeping capabilities for the Indian Navy.

The pact builds on earlier defence ties and aims to make cooperation more regular and operationally useful rather than ad hoc. Information sharing on maritime domain awareness is expected to improve common understanding of activities in critical waterways that carry a large share of global trade and energy supplies.

Officials from both countries described the memorandum as a step that links maritime security with defence industrial cooperation. Reciprocal provision of ship repair facilities is intended to support longer deployments and readiness for both navies.

The meeting also covered assessments of the regional security environment. The joint press statement issued after the talks confirmed the commitment to deepen operational cooperation in a practical and effective manner.

This development adds a formal structure to existing habits of cooperation between the two navies and provides a basis for further expansion if the security situation in the Indo-Pacific continues to demand closer coordination.