India-Japan defence ties in focus as Rajnath, Koizumi to meet on August 20

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is scheduled to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on August 20, with the two sides expected to review ongoing defence cooperation and discuss ways to expand collaboration in defence technology, industry and maritime security.

According to sources in the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Koizumi will arrive in Mumbai on August 19 and is expected to visit an Indian naval facility before travelling to New Delhi. His three-day visit comes shortly after India and Japan signed their first agreement for the joint development of the UNICORN naval radio antenna system, marking a significant step in bilateral defence technology cooperation.

During his meeting with Mr. Singh, Mr. Koizumi is expected to discuss cooperation on defence equipment, including Japan’s planned export of the UNICORN stealth communication system.

The two Ministers are also likely to review plans for the joint development of defence equipment, including drones, with a focus on strengthening maritime security and operational capabilities.

The visit follows the eighth India-Japan Defence Policy Dialogue held in Tokyo on July 13, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Japan’s Vice Minister of Defence Kano Koji.

The dialogue reviewed bilateral cooperation in emerging domains such as cybersecurity, space, advanced military technologies and defence industry collaboration.

The two countries have stepped up defence and security engagement in recent years, with greater emphasis on maritime security and maintaining a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Their cooperation also includes regular military exercises and exchanges between the armed forces.

Mr. Koizumi’s visit comes nearly seven weeks after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to New Delhi for the India-Japan Annual Summit, where the two sides agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation, with a focus on maritime security, defence equipment and technology cooperation under the ‘Make in India’ framework.