India and Australia are set to formalise three new defence agreements during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Australia from October 9–10, 2025.

These agreements aim to expand bilateral cooperation in information sharing, maritime security, and joint military activities, marking a major milestone in their growing strategic alignment under the comprehensive strategic partnership established five years ago. The visit underscores the deepening Indo-Pacific collaboration in response to increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region.

Singh will hold wide-ranging discussions with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in Canberra. The agenda involves reviewing ongoing defence cooperation and identifying new areas for joint development, training, and operational synergy across military domains. 

The visit also includes a defence-industrial round table in Sydney, bringing together senior officials and business leaders to foster co-development and co-production in emerging technologies, naval systems, and aerospace equipment.

India and Australia’s defence relationship has expanded significantly in recent years. Key areas of collaboration now include military-to-military exchanges, capacity-building programs, maritime domain awareness initiatives, and joint training missions. These activities have built operational familiarity and interoperability between both militaries.

The planned agreements will institutionalise mechanisms for classified information exchange, coordination of maritime surveillance, and mutual participation in tri-service field exercises, which are crucial for bolstering regional security readiness.

An important component of the partnership is the upcoming “AustraHind 2025” combat exercise, scheduled from October 13 to 26 at Irwin Barracks, Perth. The exercise will involve company-level Indian and Australian army contingents operating jointly in simulated urban and semi-urban combat environments under a United Nations peacekeeping mandate. Such exercises enhance joint command proficiency and tactical communication, reflecting both nations’ commitment to global peacekeeping and crisis-response capabilities.

At sea, the partnership continues to strengthen through the Malabar naval exercise, a high-end maritime drill involving India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—the full complement of the Quad grouping.

The next Malabar iteration will take place off Guam in the Western Pacific next month, emphasising anti-submarine warfare, carrier strike coordination, and joint fleet manoeuvres. India and Australia’s logistics support agreement already allows for reciprocal naval access—including refuelling, replenishment, repair, and berthing for warships and aircraft—mirroring similar Indian arrangements with the U.S., Japan, France, and Singapore.

This visit symbolises a consolidation phase in the India-Australia defence relationship. Beyond traditional cooperation, both sides aim to collaborate on emerging defence technologies, cyber security, undersea domain awareness, and supply chain resilience for critical defence materials.

With a shared commitment to an open and rules-based Indo-Pacific order, the agreements to be signed will not only upgrade bilateral military ties but also reinforce the broader Quad’s strategic deterrence posture against China’s maritime expansionism.

Rajnath Singh’s Australia visit marks a significant acceleration of India’s regional defence diplomacy. The planned agreements—covering intelligence-sharing, maritime strategy, and coordinated operations—will give fresh momentum to bilateral and multilateral military cooperation.

Together, India and Australia are positioning themselves as key pillars of stability, deterrence, and technological collaboration in the Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Based On TOI Report