India and Japan Sign Maritime Security Pact

Key facts

• India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation on August 20, 2026, in New Delhi.
• The pact aims to strengthen coordination between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in protecting Sea Lines of Communication.
• Key areas of cooperation include Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Search and Rescue (SAR), and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
• The two nations agreed to enhance mine countermeasures capabilities and explore joint development in naval shipbuilding and design.
• They welcomed the expansion of bilateral exercises including Dharma Guardian, JAIMEX, and the upcoming Veer Guardian 26 air exercise.
• They affirmed commitment to the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system project, the first defence equipment transfer project between the two countries.
• They welcomed the first trilateral naval PASSEX exercise involving Japan, India, and Indonesia conducted in February 2026.