Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (in pic) has proposed convening a Quad defence ministers’ meeting in India, signalling Tokyo’s intent to elevate the grouping’s security agenda beyond the foreign ministers’ level, reported New Indian Express.

Speaking at the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Koizumi emphasised that defence cooperation could be an area of deeper collaboration and expressed his desire to “energise Quad to the next step.”

He noted that Japan’s Foreign Minister had recently visited India for the Quad meeting and suggested that a similar dialogue among defence ministers would be valuable.

The proposal comes at a time when the Quad is consciously projecting itself as a forum for practical cooperation rather than a military alliance, especially as Washington recalibrates its ties with Beijing. China has consistently labelled the Quad as an “Asian NATO” aimed at containing its rise, a characterisation firmly rejected by the four member nations.

India recently hosted the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, where the grouping launched the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC). This initiative builds upon the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness framework, enabling real-time information sharing and a sharper picture of vessel movements, with an initial focus on the Indian Ocean Region.

MEA’s Additional Secretary Nagraj Naidu clarified that surveillance initiatives should not be seen as militarisation of the Quad, stressing that both IPMSC and IPMDA are cooperative frameworks.

He underlined that the Quad is “here to stay” and highlighted its growing activity, noting that foreign ministers had met three times in the past 18 months. Despite this momentum, uncertainty remains over the scheduling of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, with India continuing to chair the grouping since 2024 but facing difficulties in aligning the calendars of all four leaders.

Koizumi’s remarks coincided with strong statements from US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who placed India at the centre of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Hegseth described India as a “critical anchor to hold the line” in South Asia and emphasised that a powerful India acting in its own self-interest advances the shared goal of maintaining a balance of power across the region.

He also confirmed that India is developing infrastructure to support US Navy vessels and revealed that Washington and New Delhi are moving forward with defence co-production of Javelin anti-tank guided munitions, which he termed an “immediate operational imperative.”

Japan’s push for deeper Quad defence engagement reflects its broader strategic transformation. In April, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government revised Japan’s Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology, removing restrictions that had limited most military exports to five non-combat categories.

Under the new framework, ministers will assess each proposed sale individually, while maintaining strict screening, controls on third-country transfers, and a ban on sales to nations engaged in conflict. Tokyo views defence exports as a means to strengthen its industrial base, boost production volumes, and reduce per-unit costs.

This shift dovetails with India’s own defence ambitions. In March, the Indian defence ministry informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that the Indian Air Force is exploring collaboration with the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a sixth-generation stealth fighter initiative jointly developed by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.

GCAP aims to produce an advanced combat aircraft supported by unmanned wingmen and networked through a secure combat cloud, with a demonstrator expected to fly in 2027 and production aircraft entering service from 2035. Japan’s involvement in GCAP adds a defence-industrial dimension to the India–Japan relationship, extending cooperation well beyond maritime security and the Quad framework.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Koizumi also defended Japan’s military modernisation against Chinese accusations of “new militarism.” He pointed out that Japan lacks nuclear weapons and strategic bombers, yet is labelled in this way, while China is rapidly expanding its military capabilities without sufficient transparency. He stressed that Japan’s door to dialogue remains open, even as it strengthens its defence posture.

The convergence of Japan’s proposals, India’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific, and Washington’s strategic recalibration underscores the Quad’s evolving character. While the grouping continues to reject the notion of being a military alliance, the layering of defence cooperation, industrial collaboration, and maritime surveillance initiatives demonstrates its expanding scope.

The Japanese defence minister’s pitch for a Quad defence ministers’ meeting in India could mark a significant step in institutionalising the grouping’s security agenda.

Agencies