India, Japan Ink Pact To Jointly Develop Stealth-Enhancing UNICORN Mast For Indian Navy Ships

India and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Implementation (MoI) for the joint development and production of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) mast, a state-of-the-art integrated communication system.

The MoI was formally signed and exchanged in Tokyo on Friday (15 November) during a ceremony attended by Sibi George, India’s Ambassador to Japan, and Ishikawa Takeshi, Commissioner of Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency under the Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The UNICORN mast is a next-generation naval mast system that integrates multiple communication systems and enhances the stealth characteristics of naval platforms by reducing the radar cross-section (RCS) of antennas.

By stacking antennas and enclosing them within a radome, the system makes naval vessels more difficult to detect, improving their operational effectiveness in sensitive environments.

“The Indian Navy is pursuing the induction of these advanced systems which will be co-developed by Bharat Electronics Limited in India with Japanese collaboration,” the Navy said in a statement. 

It also highlighted that this project marks the first-ever case of co-development and co-production of defence equipment between the two nations.

The technology was previously discussed during the India-Japan 2+2 dialogue in August 2024, where both nations appreciated the progress made for the transfer of UNICORN and related technologies and early signing of related arrangements. 

Although Japan has sought to boost defence exports in recent years, strict conditions under its pacifist constitution have often posed challenges.

This agreement could pave the way for the first export of Japanese defence technology under the 2015 bilateral agreement on defence equipment and technology transfer.

Earlier negotiations between India and Japan for the procurement of amphibious planes for the Indian Navy stalled due to high costs and other priorities.

However, the UNICORN project signals renewed momentum in defence collaboration between the two nations.

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