Japan and India have reached an agreement for Japan to export stealthy antennas for naval communications to India, marking the second shipment of finished defense equipment by Japan to a foreign country. The decision was made during the two-plus-two meeting of foreign and defense ministers held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Japanese and Indian ministers have agreed to expedite discussions on the export of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN), which was developed by a group of Japanese companies.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with their Indian counterparts, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. This marked their third two-plus-two dialogue. In response to China’s increasingly assertive maritime behavior, the ministers have adopted a plan to deepen security cooperation.
The UNICORN antenna being considered for export is designed to combine multiple antennas into a single system, resulting in a smaller size and greater stealth capabilities. Currently, it is being installed on a Mogami-class destroyer belonging to Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.
This would be the second instance of exporting finished defense equipment based on the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology. Previously, air defense radar systems were transferred from Japan to the Philippines.
Following their meeting, Japan and India issued a joint statement announcing their decision to revise their Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation signed in 2008. The ministers also agreed to engage in comprehensive discussions regarding updates that include space and cybersecurity cooperation as well as strengthening joint exercises.
The joint statement emphasized accelerating future cooperation between both countries. As part of this effort, India will assist in maintaining Maritime Self-Defense Force ships at Indian ports. This agreement aims at enhancing operational flexibility when MSDF vessels are deployed in regions such as the Middle East or Africa.
this agreement signifies an important step towards deepening security ties between Japan and India while addressing regional challenges posed by China’s assertiveness at sea.