Japan calls on India to fast-track internal process on UNICORN naval radar agreement
The pact for transfer of technology was signed during Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s India visit in July
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Context
Japan has urged India to expedite internal processing of the UNICORN naval radar agreement signed in July 2024. Amidst an evolving security environment marked by conflicts in West Asia, Ukraine, and growing regional assertiveness by China, Japan is also accelerating the revision of its core defence policies and preparing for naval exercises with Quad partners.
UPSC Perspectives
International Relations
The India-Japan strategic partnership is gaining unprecedented momentum, moving beyond economic cooperation to robust defence collaboration. The transfer of the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) technology, a stealthy radar system that integrates multiple antennas into a single horn-shaped structure, reducing a warship's radar cross-section, is a significant milestone. This aligns with India's efforts to acquire advanced defence technologies under the 'Make in India' initiative. The impending naval exercises – the bilateral Veer Guardian and the multilateral Malabar Exercise involving the (India, US, Japan, Australia) – demonstrate a shared commitment to maritime security and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. For UPSC, this highlights the transition from a 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' to tangible military interoperability, particularly crucial given the shared concerns regarding maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
Geopolitics
Japan's shifting security posture is a pivotal development in East Asian geopolitics. Traditionally constrained by its pacifist constitution (), Japan is accelerating the revision of its 2022 policy documents on national security, defence, and military buildup. This urgency stems from the 'changing security environment,' primarily driven by China's rapid military expansion, non-transparent activities, and assertive actions in the South China Sea, as well as the China-Russia strategic alignment (e.g., joint bomber flights). Furthermore, the complex interplay in Northeast Asia, with North Korea allegedly receiving military technology from Russia in exchange for support in Ukraine, directly threatens Japanese security. The UPSC aspirant should analyze this as Japan transitioning towards a more 'proactive contribution to peace,' bolstering its self-defence capabilities, and deeply integrating unmanned systems and AI to counter emerging threats, all while facing criticism from China regarding its wartime history.
Defence & Strategic Affairs
The article underscores a critical shift in modern warfare: the proliferation of unmanned assets (drones) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Traditional defence systems, relying on expensive interceptor missiles, are becoming economically unsustainable against swarm drone tactics, as witnessed in the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. Japan's strategy to field 'large numbers of diverse unmanned assets' and integrate them with conventional platforms reflects the future of warfare. This necessitates a strategic pivot for countries like India to invest heavily in counter-drone technologies, AI for accelerated decision-making, and cost-effective air defence mechanisms. Questions in GS Paper 3 may focus on the implications of AI in military operations, the changing character of warfare due to autonomous systems, and how India must adapt its defence procurement and research, such as through , to address these asymmetric threats.