India and Japan have pledged to expedite the deployment of their collaborative Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) communications system and intensify joint development in naval shipbuilding, according to a bilateral defence meeting on 20 August 2026.
The announcement was made following talks between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi.
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During the meeting, the ministers described the UNICORN shipborne communications system as a “symbol of the deepening cooperation” in defence equipment and technology transfers, committing to its early realisation as the first such bilateral project.
A Memorandum of Implementation for the co-development of the system was first signed between the governments of India and Japan in 2024.
During the 16th India–Japan Annual Summit last month, both countries announced this as their first joint defence co-development project, aiming for the joint manufacture of the UNICORN mast for Indian naval vessels.
The UNICORN mast is designed to integrate multiple communication systems and antennas into a single, unified radar mast. This consolidation reduces the number of exposed antennas and lowers a warship’s radar cross-section, thereby enhancing stealth and the vessel’s tactical evasion effectiveness.
Besides UNICORN, the two ministers also committed to jointly explore naval ship design and construction by combining Japan’s “technological expertise” with India’s “production capabilities”.
This approach aims to maximise efficiencies in defence shipbuilding, with further discussions planned around the potential for Japan to use Indian manufacturing resources under India’s “Make in India” initiative.
The meeting saw the signing of a new Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation, establishing a framework to advance bilateral maritime collaboration.
This will include increased information sharing for Maritime Domain Awareness, as well as joint efforts in search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief operations.
Operational coordination between the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy is set to expand through reciprocal ship visits, joint naval exercises, and greater logistical support, according to the joint statement.
The ministers also expressed a shared interest in bolstering mine countermeasure operations and progressing arrangements for mutual ship repair facilities.
On the industrial front, both ministries affirmed intentions to deepen research and development partnerships between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA).
Plans were also made to convene a bilateral Defence Industry Forum to promote future projects.
The ministers agreed to establish a joint Working Group at senior official level to coordinate defence efforts in operational, intelligence, equipment, and industrial domains across both countries.
The Working Group is intended to provide oversight to accelerate the various strands of agreed cooperation.
