India and Australia have had a multi-faceted relationship for more than a century, however, in recent times, the relationship has elevated to focus on security and defence cooperation. In 2009, the two countries declared a Strategic Partnership, propelling the connection to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020. In the wake of the arrangement, several institutional mechanisms have been set up to engage and collaborate on defence and security. Both Prime Ministers have expressed the mutual need to remain open and resilient to rivalry in the Indo-Pacific.
Under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, India and Australia have encountered several milestones. The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurgaon was initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, with Australia posting its first liaison officer at the centre. Australia and India upgraded their 2+2 Dialogue in June 2020, by elevating it to the ministerial level to bolster their strategic partnership. An Indian Air Force delegation also participated in Australia’s Pitch Black exercise for the first time in 2018 and jointly conducted maritime exercises under AUSINDEX.
Australia and India have firmly established a mutually beneficial relationship to colaborate, exchange information and implement defence systems. Their joint research and development include areas like unmanned systems, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Moreover, they have bolstered their relationship by engaging in surface force, air force, navy and army dialogues, progressing towards enhanced operational organising, capabilities and honouring collective cooperative duties in case of disaster. Additionally, India and Australia are also engaging in high-level diplomatic discussions to further enhance their security relations.
Col B S Nagial (V) played a pivotal role in strengthening Indian-Australian defence and security relations. He is a decorated retired Indian Army officer and served as the Defence Adviser at the Indian High Commissioner’s office in Canberra. He has helped engage defence ministers from both countries and arranged numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises. Through his steadfast determination and commitment, he played an instrumental role in forging a stronger relationship between India and Australia’s defence forces.
Overall, India and Australia are exploring more avenues to further strengthen their defence and security relations and have much potential for collaboration. This raises the prospects of regional stability and security, and both countries could intensify their relationship via joint military exercises and training programs, maritime security, technology collaboration, and counter-terrorism efforts. This is particularly beneficial for Australia given its strained relationship with China, its largest trading partner.
