Maritime Security Cooperation (International Relations)
Maritime Security Cooperation (International Relations)
Why In News:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi on 20 August 2026.
Key Areas of Maritime Cooperation
Information Sharing and Maritime Domain Awareness: The MoA provides a framework for sharing relevant maritime information and strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) to improve situational awareness across the Indo-Pacific.
Naval Cooperation: The two navies will expand joint exercises, ship visits, port calls and operational exchanges, strengthening interoperability between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Logistics and Maintenance: Cooperation includes logistics support, ship repair and maintenance, building on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), 2020, which facilitates reciprocal access to supplies and services.
Humanitarian and Undersea Security: The partnership also covers search and rescue, disaster relief, mine countermeasures and undersea security, expanding cooperation beyond conventional naval operations.
Special Operations Cooperation: Both sides agreed to enhance exchanges between their Special Operations Forces, while exploring cooperation with India’s emerging integrated theatre commands.
Institutional Framework and Existing Cooperation
India and Japan are members of the Quad, along with the United States and Australia, providing a wider platform for cooperation on maritime security and a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Bilateral defence cooperation is already supported by JIMEX, the India–Japan maritime exercise, along with Malabar naval exercises and the Dharma Guardian and Shinyuu Maitri exercises involving the Army and Air Force respectively.
The ACSA, signed in 2020, provides the logistical foundation for greater operational cooperation by enabling reciprocal access to designated supplies and services.
ACSA vs Maritime MoA: The ACSA (2020) primarily facilitates mutual logistics support, whereas the new Maritime Security MoA provides a broader framework for operational, information-sharing and maritime security cooperation.
The two sides also agreed to accelerate the next India–Japan “2+2” Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, expected to be held in Tokyo later in 2026.