New Delhi: Emphasising on a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific, the defence ministers of India and Australia, both members of Quad, met here Monday as they looked at deepening bilateral defence cooperation, especially in the field of maritime awareness.
The West Asia crisis and its economic impact were also discussed at the second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
A joint statement issued following the meeting said both nations emphasised their commitment to deepening their maritime security partnership in order to maintain regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
In the statement, the ministers cited the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the international legal standard grounding the freedom of navigation and overflight that India and Australia seek to uphold in the Indo-Pacific. In light of the global shockwaves unleashed by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, India and Australia appear to be approaching the importance of maritime security with a renewed vigor.
With the Indo-Pacific being home to critical maritime chokepoints like the South China Sea and Strait of Malacca, the enduring flow of trade and uninterrupted economic activity that transit these waterways is critical not only for India and Australia, but for the many nations around the world.
Both defence ministers reiterated efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap that would deepen defence interoperability and increase maritime domain awareness initiatives across the Indo-Pacific.
They agreed on furthering the existing maritime domain awareness activities both undersea and through maritime patrol aircraft, underscoring the importance of increased cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command.
The joint statement also revealed the intent to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the provision of defence articles and services in order to strengthen defence industrial collaboration.
Discussions also revolved around progressing training exercises and operations to expand the scope of the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Arrangements.
Looking ahead, India and Australia have a series of initiatives planned to further strengthen defense cooperation, including through both countries’ participation in each others’ multinational air exercises in 2026 and enhanced Indian participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2027.
Both nations have also stated their intent to expand knowledge-sharing initiatives in the defence arena through future plans for collaborative defence science and technology research (including sensor technology).
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)