SOURCE: AFI
Australia has identified India as its “top-tier security partner” in its recently released National Defence Strategy. This 80-page document outlines a shift in Australia’s defense focus, prioritizing the Indo-Pacific region and strengthening partnerships with key players like India.
The strategy emphasizes deepening defense cooperation with India through the existing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This collaboration will focus on “practical and tangible” initiatives that directly contribute to regional stability. Australia seeks opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India in various areas.
The document highlights potential for joint ventures and technology sharing between the two nations’ defense industries. Enhanced information exchange will contribute to improved regional awareness and coordinated responses to security threats.
Australia plans to solidify its presence in the Indian Ocean by Regularizing deployments of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and by Increasing joint training exercises with India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh.
This National Defence Strategy marks a significant shift in Australia’s strategic focus, placing India at the center of its Indo-Pacific security strategy. Increased collaboration on defense industry, information sharing, and regional engagement point towards a more robust and coordinated security architecture in the Indo-Pacific.