India and Japan moved to deepen strategic defence ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 28–29 visit to Tokyo for the 15th Annual Summit with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, adopting a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation to expand exercises across all three services, enhance technology sharing, and institutionalise NSA-level dialogue for contemporary security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Modi underscored co-development and co-production of next‑generation systems, highlighting the UNICORN naval mast initiative that stems from a November 15, 2024 Memorandum of Implementation and marks the first India‑Japan defence co‑development project, with Bharat Electronics Limited partnering Japan’s ATLA. Officials said the declaration widens cooperation to maritime security, cyber, counterterrorism, disaster relief, and defence industry, aligning with both countries’ vision for a free and open Indo‑Pacific.