India-Japan maritime security pact: What the new Memorandum of Arrangement means | Explained

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Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (R) and Japan Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20, 2026. Photo: X/@rajnathsingh

India and Japan have taken a significant step towards deepening maritime security cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation between their Defence Ministries.

The agreement, signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20, provides a framework for expanding practical cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and growing competition in the Indo-Pacific.

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