Canberra, October 11: India and Australia on Thursday signed a series of defence cooperation agreements aimed at expanding collaboration across land, air, maritime, and industrial domains, as the two Indo-Pacific democracies seek to strengthen strategic ties amid growing regional security challenges.
The announcements came after the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, co-chaired by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Canberra. The meeting coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The two ministers signed three key agreements — an information-sharing pact, a memorandum of understanding on submarine search and rescue cooperation, and terms of reference for establishing joint staff talks. They also welcomed the signing of the Implementing Arrangement on Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation, marking a major milestone in maritime collaboration.
Progress was reviewed on the Air-to-Air Refuelling Agreement, signed in 2024, as both sides discussed steps to enhance interoperability and maritime domain awareness through a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.
Australia acknowledged India’s growing role in promoting maritime stability in the Indian Ocean Region and invited Indian participation in the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. India, in turn, welcomed Australia’s continued participation in Talisman Sabre, Austrahind, and Puk Puk defence exercises.
Recognising the importance of defence industrial cooperation, the ministers announced Australia’s first defence trade mission to India (7–10 October 2025) and confirmed an upcoming Australia–India Defence Industry Roundtable in Sydney. They also reaffirmed joint efforts to advance emerging defence technologies, including artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and secure communications, under the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research and Materiel.
Australia thanked India for offering maintenance and repair facilities for Royal Australian Navy ships in Indian shipyards, while both sides agreed to deepen education and personnel exchanges. Additional Indian students will join the Australian Defence College in 2026, with a new slot to open at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2027.
Reiterating their shared commitment to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, the ministers underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and adherence to international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also discussed enhanced cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Australia–India–Indonesia trilateral and the Quad.
Marles accepted Singh’s invitation to visit India for the next Annual Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in 2026.
