Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar visited Japan on 9 October 2025 to strengthen India-Japan cooperation in shipbuilding and mine countermeasures, and to explore joint development opportunities under the 'Make in India' initiative, the Embassy of India in Japan confirmed on Friday. The visit signals a concrete operational follow-through on high-level defence commitments made earlier this year.

Key Bilateral Consultations

During the visit, Vice Admiral Kochhar held bilateral consultations with Vice Admiral Yasuhiro Kunimi, Vice Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and Lieutenant General Norimichi Shirakawa, Vice Chief of Staff of Japan's Joint Staff. He also met Rear Admiral Toshiyuki Hirata of the JMSDF, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to close collaboration in advancing India-Japan defence cooperation, according to the Embassy.

Vice Admiral Kochhar additionally held discussions with India's Ambassador to Japan, Nagma Mallick, at the Embassy of India in Tokyo.

Onboard JS Mogami: A Symbolic Gesture

A notable highlight of the visit was a tour of the JMSDF frigate JS Mogami, where Vice Admiral Kochhar met Vice Admiral Izuru Ikeuchi, Commander of the Fleet Surface Force, and inspected the ship's facilities. The two nations reaffirmed their shared intent to deepen cooperation in the maritime domain and explore fresh avenues for collaboration, the Embassy stated.

Background: August Defence Ministers' Meeting

The visit builds directly on the defence ministers' meeting held in New Delhi on 20 August, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi agreed to leverage each other's strengths in defence shipbuilding. A joint statement from that meeting stressed the importance of sharing assessments of the regional and international security environment amid heightened global tensions.

Both ministers committed to deepening operational cooperation in maritime security and signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation. The memorandum provides a framework for strengthening cooperation between the JMSDF and the Indian Navy, including Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) information sharing, Search and Rescue (SAR), and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

Why This Visit Matters

India and Japan have steadily elevated their defence relationship in recent years, driven by shared concerns over maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. This is the latest in a series of high-level naval engagements aimed at converting bilateral commitments into operational outcomes — particularly in the domain of shipbuilding technology and undersea mine countermeasures, areas where Japan holds considerable expertise. Notably, deepening 'Make in India' linkages in defence manufacturing has been a recurring priority for New Delhi, and Japan is emerging as a preferred partner in that effort.

As both navies continue to expand their coordination frameworks, the next steps are expected to focus on translating the Memorandum of Arrangement into specific projects and exercises in the coming months.