In a landmark step for bilateral relations, India and Japan have sealed an unprecedented agreement to jointly develop and produce the cutting-edge Naval Radio Antenna ‘UNICORN’ mast for upcoming Indian Navy vessels.
This groundbreaking partnership—the first military hardware co-development pact between the two countries—was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi.
The UNICORN, which stands for Unified Complex Radio Antenna (also known as the NORA-50 integration mast), represents a massive leap in naval technology.
Originally developed for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Mogami-class stealth frigates, this next-generation system is engineered to dramatically enhance a warship's stealth and situational awareness.
Traditional warships feature a cluttered array of exposed antennas for communication and radar, creating a highly visible profile that is easily picked up by enemy sensors.
The UNICORN system replaces this outdated setup by packing dozens of separate communication, surveillance, and radar antennas inside a single, enclosed, horn-shaped structure known as a radome.
This sleek design greatly decreases the vessel’s radar cross-section, making it substantially harder for rival forces to spot Indian ships on their radar screens.
Inside this unified mast are several vital subsystems, including those for tactical data links, Tactical Air Navigation Systems (TACAN), Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and general communications.
Beyond improving stealth, the enclosed structure protects sensitive electronics from the harsh marine environment and reduces electromagnetic interference.
This ensures that the warship's sensors function flawlessly when detecting and tracking modern threats like drones and incoming missiles, while features like a lightning diverter strip protect the system from natural hazards at sea.
Under the "Make in India" initiative, the state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will lead the manufacturing and integration of these masts domestically.
They will work closely with major Japanese defence technology companies—led by NEC Corporation, alongside Sampa Kogyo K.K. and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.—who will share their advanced design knowledge and transfer critical technology to facilitate local production.
Once manufactured, the UNICORN masts will systematically replace the older, external communication arrays currently used across the Indian Navy fleet.
This historic transfer is made possible by Tokyo's recent shifts away from its strict post-Cold War export bans, allowing Japan to supply non-lethal defence technology to trusted strategic allies.
Consequently, India becomes only the second Asian country, following the Philippines, to receive such sensitive defence hardware from Japan.
Leaders from both nations emphasised that this advanced system will play a crucial role in safeguarding regional peace, protecting freedom of navigation, and upholding a rules-based international order in the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region.
For New Delhi, this high-level technological collaboration with Tokyo is a vital step toward diversifying its defence procurement and reducing its historical dependence on single suppliers like Russia.
