Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited HMAS Kuttabul, a vital Royal Australian Navy base located at Potts Point, Sydney, on October 10, 2025. The visit highlighted the growing strategic partnership and naval cooperation between India and Australia.

Accompanied by Australia's Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil, Rajnath Singh received briefings on the operational capabilities and infrastructure of HMAS Kuttabul. He undertook a water tour of Fleet Base East and a harbour cruise aboard Admiral Hudson, gaining direct insights into Australia’s maritime operations and naval preparedness.

HMAS Kuttabul serves as a crucial administrative, training, logistics, and accommodation center for naval personnel on Australia’s east coast. The base supports naval operations across the greater Sydney region, symbolizing Australia’s strong maritime readiness.

Earlier, Singh participated in the inaugural Australia-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles. This dialogue reflected the shared commitment to maintaining a stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region under international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Both nations reaffirmed cooperation across maritime, air, land, cyber, and space domains.

The visit also underscored collaboration in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) across the Indo-Pacific. The two countries agreed on strengthening naval collaboration, joint exercises, port calls, and interoperability to enhance regional security and prosperity.

Singh co-chaired the maiden India-Australia Defence Industry Business Roundtable with Peter Khalil, focusing on industrial partnerships, capability development, and leveraging India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. The meeting emphasized joint projects, co-development, and investments in defence technology and manufacturing.

Australia welcomed India’s offer to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities for Royal Australian Navy ships during deployments in the Indian Ocean region. Both countries also discussed advancing cooperation in missile defence, uncrewed systems, and special operations.

In the evening, Rajnath Singh addressed the Indian community in Sydney, lauding their role in strengthening cultural, economic, and strategic ties between India and Australia.

This visit marks a significant step in deepening India-Australia naval ties and enhancing cooperation for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. Both sides expressed eagerness to continue engaging through trilateral cooperation with Indonesia and multilateral frameworks like the Quad involving Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.​

Agencies