India and Australia on Monday agreed to expand their defence partnership with a proposed defence supplies and services pact, alongside enhanced cooperation in maritime surveillance, undersea domain awareness, and military interoperability, as both countries continue to strengthen strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific region.
The development came during the second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held in New Delhi, co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. The meeting was held just eight months after their first dialogue in Australia, underscoring the accelerating pace of defence engagement between the two Quad partners.
A key outcome of the talks was the decision to begin work on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision of defence articles and services. Officials said the agreement is expected to establish a structured framework for deeper defence-industrial cooperation, including collaboration in manufacturing, maintenance, sustainment, and supply chain integration. The two sides also welcomed recent initiatives such as Australia’s defence trade mission to India and the India-Australia Defence Industry Roundtable held in October.
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Maritime security emerged as a central focus of the discussions, with both countries agreeing to enhance maritime domain awareness through coordinated patrol activities and improved surveillance of the Indo-Pacific waters. They also committed to advancing undersea domain awareness capabilities and strengthening coordination between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command, reflecting growing concern over regional maritime stability and security.
The ministers further announced plans to jointly host a Search and Rescue tabletop exercise in Chennai later this month under the Indian Ocean Rim Association framework. They also agreed to deepen interoperability under the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and confirmed that inaugural Joint Staff Talks will be held later this year to improve operational coordination between the armed forces of both nations.
Beyond maritime cooperation, the two countries outlined plans to expand defence exercises and technology collaboration. India is set to participate in Australia’s Operation Render Safe for the first time, while Australia has invited India to join the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. Both sides also emphasised cooperation in defence science and sensor technologies, reinforcing their shared commitment to a “free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific” in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
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