Affirming their mutual commitment under the “Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” both New Delhi and Tokyo said they welcomed the steady strengthening of defence cooperation between the two countries.

Just days ahead of the BRICS Summit in India, and a day after China expressed strong displeasure over Japan’s remilitarisation for the first time since World War II, New Delhi and Tokyo signalled strong strategic and security cooperation, particularly in the area of maritime security. Raksha Mantri (RM) Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, held a bilateral meeting on Thursday.

The two ministers expressed strong opposition to any unilateral actions that impede the freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as to any attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

Another significant development during the talks was that India will receive the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system, marking the first defence equipment transfer project between the two countries.The two countries also decided to promote exchanges between their respective Special Operations Forces and pursue cooperation with India’s integrated theatre commands.