Signing their first bilateral agreement to encompass joint development and production of defence-related equipment, India and Japan have agreed to focus on continued development and licensed production of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN) naval communications mast.
Originally designated NORA-50, the UNICORN mast was developed in 2015-2016 by NEC Corporation, Sampa Kogyo and The Yokohama Rubber Company, with series production from 2018. Initial installation on Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Mogami-class frigates took place the following year. The integrated mast combines multiple communications, sensor and EW antennas into a unified structure, reducing the number of externally-mounted antennas and thereby enhancing low observation characteristics. India now plans to integrate its own sensors and antennas into the mast for deployment on Indian Navy vessels, expected to be fleet-wide in due course. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will manufacture in India under New Delhi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, undertaking system integration and production while Japanese partners provide design and core technologies.
According to Global Data, an established intelligence and productivity platform, India is set to spend approx. US$16 billion on tactical communications systems from 2025-2035, of which some $2.3 billion will focus on maritime communications.
DA Comment
This agreement addresses both short- and long-term ambitions in New Delhi and Tokyo. In the short term, the initial platforms benefitting from UNICORN installations are likely to be the Project 17B frigate and Project 18 next-generation destroyer. In the longer term, experience and institutional knowledge gained through the co-development and localised production process will build exploitable trust and lay the foundations for future closer cooperation in multiple classes of surface combatants for both nations.
Japan and India face common challenges and common potential threats as the increasing complexity of the global geopolitical situation accelerates and uncertainty over the intentions of key players in the Indo-Pacific region continues to escalate. Building trust, sharing innovation and creating greater interoperability are ideal starting points for better, fuller and more effective future cooperation.
Headline image shows JS Mogami and Kumano at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan with NORA-50 integration masts fitted. (Wikimedia Commons)
