TOKYO // Japan was close to signing an agreement to supply amphibious planes to India, Japanese media reported yesterday, in what would be the first sale of hardware used by the military since a weapons export ban was imposed.
During a four-day visit to Tokyo by India's prime minister Manmohan Singh, which began yesterday, the two sides were set firm up plans for Delhi to purchase the US-2, a domestically developed aircraft used by Japan's armed forces.
The sale, reported by the Nikkei business daily, would be the first of a finished product made by Japan's defence industry since rules were imposed restricting the export of weapons systems and other equipment.
It would also mark a strengthening of the alliance between Japan and India, which both see rising China as a threat to regional stability.
Experts say the aircraft must be classed as for civilian use if it is to comply with Japan's 1967 self-imposed ban on arms exports, part of the post-Second World War antimilitarist drive.
The US-2, which was developed by ShinMaywa Industries and has been sold to the Japanese navy at a price of roughly 10 billion yen (Dh363.7 million), has a range of 4,700 kilometres and can land in seas with waves of up to three metres.
"If the US-2 is exported to India for civilian use, that would be the first case of exports of Japanese-developed weaponry used by the defence ministry for civilian use," a trade ministry official in charge of arms sales said.
ShinMaywa opened a sales office in New Delhi last year and has been promoting the plane there, a spokesman for the company said.
"We hear there is some demand from the Indian government but decline to comment further as we have yet to reach a contract," he said. The Nikkei said India is looking to acquire at least 15 of the aircraft.
In a separate Nikkei report, Mr Abe and Mr Singh were expected to agree on drafting a master plan for new infrastructure in southern India.
Japan would supply expertise on the plan to build a power grid, roads, railways and ports, mainly in the area that includes Bengaluru and Chennai. Both cities are business hubs for Japanese firms such as Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor and Toshiba.
Tomorrow, Japan was expected pledge a fresh 71bn yen loan for building a subway in Mumbai, the Nikkei reported.