In a significant step toward deepening the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, India’s Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, the Hon Richard Marles, held the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue on October 9, 2025, in Australia. The meeting marked a milestone in bilateral defence cooperation, reflecting both nations’ commitment to enhancing regional security and fostering collaboration across multiple domains.
A Vision for Regional Stability
The Dialogue built on the vision set by the Prime Ministers of both nations to strengthen collective security and contribute to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The Ministers discussed a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap to advance maritime cooperation and expressed their intent to renew the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, signaling a long-term commitment to joint efforts.
New Frameworks for Collaboration
To institutionalize their growing partnership, the Ministers agreed to hold an annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, ensuring regular high-level consultations. They welcomed the signing of the Australia–India Implementing Arrangement on Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation, a key step in enhancing naval interoperability. Progress on the Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement, signed in 2024, was also highlighted, alongside efforts to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms.
Expanding Defence Engagement
The India-Australia defence partnership now spans land, air, and sea, with several notable developments:
- Joint Staff Talks have been established to promote joint exercises, operations, and interoperability across all domains.
- India will participate in Australia’s premier multilateral exercise, Exercise Talisman Sabre, in 2025 and 2027, marking a significant step in operational collaboration.
- The Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement is facilitating more frequent and complex defence exercises, boosting interoperability.
- The Royal Australian Air Force participated in India’s Exercise Tarang Shakti 2024, and both navies are set to engage in high-level interactions in 2026.
- Australia extended an invitation for India to join the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon, further deepening naval ties.
Defence Education and Training
The Ministers celebrated the expansion of defence education ties, with additional Indian students set to attend the Australian Defence College in 2026. For the first time, an Indian student will also join the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2027, fostering greater people-to-people connections.
Boosting Defence Industry Ties
Defence industrial collaboration emerged as a cornerstone of the partnership. Key highlights include:
- Australia’s first defence trade mission to India, held from October 7–10, 2025, aimed at fostering industry partnerships.
- The debut of an India Pavilion at Australia’s Land Forces Expo 2024, showcasing India’s growing defence industry capabilities.
- The upcoming Australia–India Defence Industry Roundtable in Sydney on October 10, 2025, to further strengthen ties.
- Both nations agreed to pursue collaboration in cutting-edge technologies through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Materiel.
- India offered maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for Royal Australian Navy ships at Indian shipyards during deployments in the Indian Ocean, a move that underscores practical cooperation.
Regional and Multilateral Cooperation
The Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, emphasizing adherence to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They highlighted ongoing cooperation in maritime domain awareness and anti-submarine warfare, with aircraft deployments from each other’s territories to enhance operational familiarity.
The Dialogue also underscored trilateral and quadrilateral cooperation:
- The Australia–India–Indonesia trilateral format continues to address shared regional challenges.
- The Australia–India–Japan–United States partnership is advancing, with plans for a second collaborative activity during Exercise Malabar in November 2025.
- Australia and Japan will observe the India–United States Cope India air exercise in 2025, marking a new milestone in multilateral engagement.
Army-to-Army Cooperation
The Ministers noted the growing engagement between the Indian and Australian armies, particularly in amphibious exercises and operations. The Exercise Austrahind is being enhanced in scope and complexity, while Exercise Puk Puk and other exchanges are fostering collaboration in emerging domains like integrated air and missile defence, secure communications, and counter-unmanned aerial systems.
Broader Regional Engagement
The Ministers acknowledged India’s growing presence in the Pacific, with the Indian Naval Ship Kadmatt participating in Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations and making a port call in Fiji in September 2025. Australia invited India to join future iterations of Operation Render Safe, a regional initiative focused on explosive ordnance disposal.
Looking Ahead
Deputy Prime Minister Marles accepted an invitation from Defence Minister Singh to visit India for the next Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in 2026, signaling the continuity of this high-level engagement. The Dialogue reflects the growing strategic convergence between India and Australia, positioning their partnership as a key pillar of Indo-Pacific security.
As both nations deepen their defence ties, the outcomes of this Dialogue underscore
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