India, Japan need to boost military tech collaboration

A decade-plus of efforts by India and Japan to co-develop and co-produce military equipment, so far, have only one programme on track, a communication system for naval warships. Two failed proposals - one on making submarines and another on a sea plane - have led to an impression of a 'slow-paced' collaboration, hindered by geo-politics and Tokyo's reluctance on sharing military technology. Advertisement Japan holds cutting-edge technology in submarines, aero-engines, fighter jets, etc. India needs all these, and quickly. The Parliament of Japan lays down strict rules for technology transfer. Excluding the defence sector, Japanese investment in India runs into…