India, Australia eye upgrade in ties with submarine and information-sharing pact

New Delhi: India and Australia are set to upgrade military ties by inking pacts on intelligence sharing, submarine rescue, and joint staff talks during the visit of defence minister Rajnath Singh to Sydney later this week.

The two nations, which have emerged as strong training partners with foundational agreements for logistics sharing, are also working to identify areas where their respective defence industries can cooperate and leverage each other's capabilities. Singh, who will be the first Indian defence minister to visit Australia since 2013, will also witness first-hand an air-to-air refuelling mission involving an Australian KC-30A multi-role tanker transport aircraft and an Indian combat aircraft.

India signed an air-to-air refuelling implementing arrangement with Australia in November 2024, bolstering the capabilities of Indian military planes by extending their range in the Indian Ocean region. Both countries operate common platforms like the Boeing-made P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft that are capable of sharing real-time intelligence and performing joint missions.


Australia, which sees India as a significant defence partner, is also keen on initiating the 2-plus-2 joint mechanism for talks at the earliest. This would involve the foreign ministers and defence ministers of both countries. Singh's upcoming visit tracks the two nations marking the fifth anniversary of a comprehensive strategic partnership, with defence and security relations emerging as a key pillar of bilateral ties. "Australia and India are now top-tier security partners. In the past decade, we have more than tripled our annual defence exercises, meetings, and activities - from 11 in 2014 to 33 in 2024," an official said. Singh's visit to Australia is also expected to hasten work on a joint maritime security collaboration roadmap currently under discussion, and a renewed joint declaration on defence and security cooperation.

New Delhi is also keen to understand how Australian companies, specialising in maritime domain awareness technologies and underwater tech, can partner with Indian firms.