Cranking up the Defense Cooperation: Japan and India's Response to China's Growing Militarization
Japan and India reach decision for enhanced defense collaboration, contemplate establishment of new dialogue platform.
In the face of China's relentless expansion in the Indo-Pacific, Japan and India have ramped up their defense ties. Here's what's cooking between these two strategic allies:
Present State of Affairs
- Diplomatic Shindigs: Recent diplomatic exchanges between Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and India's Rajnath Singh have highlighted the urgency of fortifying defense relations. In mid-May 2025, during a bash in New Delhi, both ministers concurred on beefing up collaboration under the "Japan India (India Japan) Defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region" (JIDIP/IJDIP) initiative[1][3].
- Kicking It Old School: The two nations have committed to elevating their joint military exercises, focusing primarily on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime security. Furthermore, there's talk about defense technology collaborations, such as cooperation on future fighter jets and submarine exports from Japan to India[2][3].
- Senior Officer Huddle: There's been conversation about establishing a high-ranking officer dialogue body to manage the joint operations and bolster cooperation[3][4].
What's Next on the Agenda
- Strategic Sealing the Deal: Japan and India are set to tighten their strategic bonds through intensified military drills and technology swaps. This defensive alignment is geared towards countering China's increasing military presence in the region[2][5].
- Diverse Defense Deals: To foster military self-reliance, India is striking partnerships with technologically savvy nations, such as the U.S., France, and, now, Japan. This move strengthens India's strategic clout on the global stage[2].
- Promoting Regional Peace: The deepening of defense relationships between Japan and India aims to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Their cooperation underlines adherence to law and order and the peaceful resolution of conflicts—a contrast to China's assertive stance in the region[1][5].
All told, the fortification of defense bonds between Japan and India reflects a shared desire to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific amidst rising geopolitical tensions, primarily caused by China's military buildup. This partnership is expected to evolve further as both nations continue to engage in technology-sharing conversations and strategic dialogues.
[1] [Source 1][2] [Source 2][3] [Source 3][4] [Source 4][5] [Source 5]
- In the growing concern over China's militarization, AI technology is reportedly under consideration as part of Japan and India's defense collaboration.
- The Japanese military is said to have agreed to share advanced antenna technology with India as part of the JIDIP/IJDIP initiative.
- The escalating military tensions in the Indo-Pacific have pushed Japan and India to explore possibilities in joint research and development projects, particularly in tech sectors such as robotics and artificial intelligence.
- In line with the general news regarding political alliances and military cooperation, Japan's General Nakatani insists on discussing war-and-conflict scenarios with India's counterparts to strengthen their joint response capabilities.
- Japan's Foreign Ministry has expressed interest in cooperating with India in cybersecurity defense, where both nations could bolster their defenses against potential threats originating from the Chinese military.
- As Japan and India grow increasingly wary of China's military activity, collaborative ventures in technology manufacturing are in the works, such as joint Antonov-Novosibirsk Combined Cycle (ANKC) plant projects, which are expected to improve both nations' military capacities.
