Raksha Mantri and his Japanese counterpart meet on the margins of ADMM-Plus in Philippines

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Defense of Japan Mr Shinjiro Koizumi held a meeting on the margins of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) - Plus in Cebu, Philippines on October 28, 2026. The two Ministers welcomed the steady progress in bilateral defence cooperation since their meeting in August, in line with the direction they had concurred on, including:

• Progress in discussions on concrete maritime security cooperation that serves the strategic and operational needs of both sides, including enhancing mine countermeasure capabilities and exploring the possibility of joint development in naval shipbuilding and design by leveraging Japan’s technological expertise and India’s production capabilities, facilitated through such opportunities as the visit of the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy to Japan
• Progress in discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two air services, following the first-ever visit to India by Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft during the India-Japan Air Force exercise ‘Veer Guardian 26’, as well as the visit to India by the Chief of Staff of the Air Self-Defense Force conducted in conjunction with the exercise
• The successful holding of the India-Japan Defence Industry Forum at the Embassy of India in Tokyo, with the participation of approximately 40 companies from both nations.

The Ministers further concurred on accelerating discussions towards convening the 4th Japan-India Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting (2+2) and the Japan-India Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo later this year.

In a post on X after the meeting, Raksha Mantri stated that the discussions explored new avenues to further strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. He added that the shared commitment of India and Japan remains vital for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.