India is a top-tier security partner for Australia, states its National Defence Strategy (NDS) 2024 released last week and through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, between Australia and India, the government is continuing to prioritise the practical and tangible cooperation that directly contributes to the Indo-Pacific stability.
“Australia will continue to support India’s key role in the region by increasing depth and complexity of our defence cooperation. The government will continue to seek opportunities with India to drive practical bilateral and multilateral cooperation, defence industry cooperation and information sharing,” the NDS released on April 17 said.
The 2024 Integrated Investment Programme (IIP) was also released and which sets out the specific defence capabilities Australia will invest in to give effect to the NDS. As per this, the Albanese government has allocated 330 billion USD for the IIP over the decade to 2033-34.
Adding other commitments announced, the defence funding as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to rise around 2.4 percent by 2033-34 and upto 0.3 percent higher than their spending trajectory set by the former government, a statement of the Australian government said.
Australia will also deeply invest our defence relationships with partners across the Southeast Asia and the Pacific as well as in the IOR and North Asia regions, the NDS said. “This includes the continuing to expand their partnerships with Japan and India. Australia will also continue to work closely with like-minded partners and outside the Indo-Pacific, including European nations.”
On the broader geopolitical situation, the NDS noted that the risk of crisis and conflict in the Taiwan Strait is increasing as well as other flashpoints including disputes in the South and East China Seas and on the border with India. There is also increasing competition for access and influence over the sea lanes and strategic ports, it noted also adding, “Some of the Chinese initiatives in the Indo-Pacific also lack transparency around their purpose and scope.”
There remains potential for tensions and miscommunication between India and Pakistan and between India and China with the risk of use of nuclear weapons, or proliferation a factor in each flashpoint it further said noting, “The threat of terrorism from politically motivated and extremist groups will endure and fuelled due to the ongoing violence and volatility in the Middle East.”
The Northeast Indian Ocean is central to Australia’s security and sea-lanes of communication, the NDS declared and in addition to the engagement with India, the government’s defence engagement in the Indian Ocean Region will focus on regularising the Australia defence forces presence including deployments, training and exercises with Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bangladesh.
Defence and Security operation between India and Australia have been transformative in recent years with series of high exchanges, high level visits and exercises both bilateral and multilateral. In addition, the MDA, the sub surface domain awareness and Anti-Submarine Warfare have been the major focus of the QUAD countries (India, US, Japan, Australia) in the backdrop of rapid expansions of Chinese naval presence in the IOR.
The Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond visited India earlier this month from April 2 to April 6. His discussions with Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar focused on avenues to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation, including increased operational engagements, training exchanges and information sharing, the Navy said.
The Australian Navy Chief also visited the Southern Naval Command in Kochi and went onboard India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. He had also visited the Western Naval Command at Mumbai as well as the defence shipyard Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
India and Australia signed a mutual logistics support agreement in 2020 and the two Navies had signed the ‘Joint Guidance for the India – Australia Navy to Navy Relationship’ document in August 2021. Australia also has a Liaison Officer at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In addition, the two sides are in an advanced stage of discussion to conclude implementing arrangements on hydrography cooperation and cooperation for air-to-air refuelling.
