Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India and Japan increased their efforts for the joint production of warships to bolster maritime power in the changing geopolitical landscape as China increasingly flexes its naval muscle, according to a new report.
Recent developments such as the transfer of Japan’s advanced Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) mast technology to the Indian Navy, Japan’s relaxation of its arms exports policy, and discussions on co-developing Mogami-class frigates suggest that the future of India-Japan security cooperation also lies in the shipyards, according to an article in The Diplomat.
The UNICORN agreement serves as proof that India and Japan can move beyond a conventional buyer-seller relationship toward more collaborative defence production. The logical next step here is shipbuilding.
India is a trusted strategic partner for Japan with an expanding defence industrial base capable of supporting larger collaborative projects, the article observes.
For India, which seeks to modernise its naval capabilities while advancing the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, access to Japanese technologies will give a booster shot to indigenous shipbuilding.
This need for enhancing bilateral defence industrial cooperation was also highlighted during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to India earlier this month.
“Joint shipbuilding creates long-term industrial linkages that involve advanced manufacturing, electronics, propulsion systems, artificial intelligence, and maintenance ecosystems. Such cooperation also strengthens both military capability and economic resilience,” the article states.
It highlights the Japan’s proposal to jointly develop and produce the advanced Mogami-class frigates with India deserves serious consideration.
