India, Japan Sign Defence Co-development Pact

India and Japan signed their first defence co-development agreement on 2 July 2026 during the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. The pact covers the co-development of the Naval Radio Antenna ‘Unicorn’, also called the UNICORN mast, for naval platforms.

Defence Co-development in Bilateral Relations

Defence co-development is a form of defence industrial cooperation in which two countries jointly develop a military system or platform. India and Japan have used this framework for technology collaboration in areas linked to maritime security, supply-chain resilience, and strategic autonomy.

UNICORN Mast and Naval Applications

The UNICORN mast stands for Unified Complex Radio Antenna. It is designed to improve the stealth characteristics of naval platforms by integrating multiple antennas into a single structure. The system is used on warships for communication, radar, and electronic systems.

India-Japan Strategic Cooperation

The agreement was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The summit also covered artificial intelligence, economic security, critical minerals, healthcare, and energy as part of wider bilateral cooperation.

Important Facts for Exams

• The 16th India-Japan Annual Summit was held in New Delhi on 2 July 2026.
• The first India-Japan defence co-development project involves the Naval Radio Antenna ‘Unicorn’.
• A Memorandum of Implementation for the UNICORN mast was signed in November 2024 at the Embassy of India, Tokyo.
• The 3rd India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting was held in August 2024.

Defence Export Context

The co-development of the UNICORN mast is linked to Japan’s defence export policy, which has historically imposed self-restrictions on military exports. India and Japan have maintained regular high-level defence exchanges through ministerial visits and institutional dialogue.