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India-Japan defence ties, focusing on collaboration in stealth systems, naval platforms, unmanned vehicles, cyber defence, and potentially fighter jets and submarines, play a key role in advancing India’s defence modernisation and strategic autonomy, a report said on Tuesday.
It added that this partnership not only supplies India with vital technologies but also promotes indigenous production, operational synergy, and regional stability in an increasingly challenging Indo-Pacific region.
“India-Japan defence cooperation has advanced into a pivotal pillar of regional security in the Indo-Pacific, fueled by shared strategic interests, complementary strengths, and an intensifying focus on defence equipment and technology collaboration,” a report in ‘India Narrative’ detailed.
“For India, partnering with Japan on specific defence equipment and materials is crucial for modernising its armed forces, catalysing indigenous defence production, and enhancing strategic autonomy, while supporting its evolving security imperatives,” it noted.
According to the report, the geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific, shaped by China’s assertive actions, including territorial disputes, naval expansion, and emerging hybrid threats, has accelerated India-Japan defence collaboration.
The August 2025 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan underscored enhanced interoperability, joint exercises, and promoting mutual defence readiness, while emphasising partnership in chemical, biological, radiological defence, cyber warfare, and maritime security.
“Both nations, as democracies sharing a commitment to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, have intensified cooperation in defence equipment development, techno-industrial collaboration, and operational integration. India, in particular, views Japan’s technological sophistication and emerging openness to defence exports as a critical opportunity to upgrade its military capabilities,” the report stressed.
The report stated that by partnering with India, Japan gains strategically by securing a trusted regional ally with a strong maritime presence and an expanding defence market, supporting its national security and economic goals. On the other hand, for India, Japan’s technology and industrial engagement strengthens defence modernisation and interoperability in a geopolitically competitive region.
This partnership, the report said, bolsters regional stability by strengthening joint response capabilities against terrorism, piracy, and hybrid threats. It stated that logistics support agreements and intelligence sharing improved operational efficiency and readiness, contributing directly to a secure and open Indo-Pacific.
“With Japan’s evolving defence export policy and India’s expanding defence industrial base, the future holds promising possibilities for joint development of advanced fighter jets, submarines, and next-generation combat systems that can redefine their strategic partnership,” the report noted.
