India is an indispensable security partner for Australia: High Commissioner Philip Green

Australian High Commissioner Philip Green has termed India an “indispensable security partner” for his country ahead of the visit of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a first ever visit to Australia this week, which will see the signing of 3 key MoU- information sharing, submarine rescue, and establishment of joint staff talks. This visit marks the first visit to Australia by an Indian Minister of Defence in twelve years, and the first by a Minister of Defence in Prime Minister Modi’s Government.

The High Commissioner said, terming the visit “historic” said that the defence cooperation between the 2 countries “delivers tangible effects to uphold Indo-Pacific stability” and this visit is a “unique opportunity to deepen our defence partnership, including though enhancing strategic dialogue and information-sharing, and increasing the complexity of our exercises.”

During the visit, the Indian defence minister will hold bilateral talks with his counterpart, Australian Deputy PM and defence minister Richard Marles. The latter had visited India earlier this year and was the first Quad defence minister to visit the country after India’s operation Sindoor, a counter terror operation in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Indian defense minister, who will be in the country on 9th and 10th October, will also witness live air-to-air refuelling capability demonstration on a RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker. The Air-to-Air Refueling Implementing Arrangement is the first such arrangement the Indian side has with any country and increases interoperability.

Both India, and Australia have significantly upped the defence ties and are working to sign a renewed Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation, an update from the original Declaration from 2009 and a joint Maritime Security Collaboration roadmap that will advance defence cooperation over the next decade.

“This is the fastest uptick in a major power relationship Australia has ever experienced. The shift in the India-Australia defence partnership is truly seismic: there is more collaboration and activities than ever before, and at a greater level of complexity”, Australian high commissioner Philip Green pointed.

In the past decade, India and Australia have more than tripled annual defence exercises, meetings, and activities, from just 11 in 2014 to 33 in 2024. India has participated in Exercise TALISMAN SABRE for the first time this year and next year, is expected to participate in Australian Navy’s multilateral exercises KAKADU. The Royal Australian Air Force will observe Exercise Cope India and continue participating in India’s multilateral air Exercise TARANG SHAKTI and participate in Navy Exercise MILAN. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, even as both sides focus on firming up ties in areas like trade and investment, education, sports, renewable energy.