India and Japan Sign Maritime Security Cooperation Pact

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi on August 20, 2026, to deepen operational and naval ties.

The agreement establishes a framework for information sharing, joint exercises, and logistics support, including reciprocal access to port facilities and maintenance for the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The two nations plan to integrate unmanned systems and hold the Veer Guardian 26 air exercise, which will feature the first-ever participation of Japanese fighter aircraft within Indian territory.