Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy completed mega exercise in Indian Ocean last week
Melbourne:
Australia continues to strengthen its engagement with like-minded countries, such as India, in support of a shared vision for a more secure, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific, said Minister of Justice. Defense Linda Reynolds, as China becomes a region rich in resources.
Ms Reynolds said the recently concluded joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean reflected the strengthened relationships as comprehensive strategic partners.
The Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy completed a two-day mega exercise in the northeast Indian Ocean last week, which included a range of complex naval maneuvers, anti-aircraft exercises and helicopter operations.
This is India and Australia’s first major military exercise after elevating their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signing a landmark agreement for reciprocal access to military bases for logistical support in June.
“We continue to strengthen our engagement with like-minded countries, such as India, in support of a shared vision for a more secure, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Ms. Reynolds said in a statement.
“Our defense relationship with India is at an historic high point after the virtual Prime Ministers’ summit earlier this year, and I look forward to further developing our comprehensive partnership in the future,” she said. .
India, the United States, and several other world powers have spoken of the need to ensure a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific amid growing China’s military maneuvers in the region.
Ms Reynolds said the joint exercise showcased the interoperability of the two navies.
Australia’s HMAS Hobart, the lead ship of the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers, sailed with the Indian Navy’s stealth frigate INS Sahyadri and the missile corvette INS Karmuk during the exercise.
The naval exercise comes at a time when India is expanding the deployment of its warships in the Indian Ocean region following its tense standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Ocean, seen as the backyard of the Indian Navy, is essential to India’s strategic interests.
It was the fourth major bilateral military exercise for the Indian Navy since June. India has already carried out similar exercises with the navies of the United States, Japan and Russia.
The latest engagement gave the Indian and Australian navies the opportunity to engage in a range of naval activities, including combined maneuvers and surface warfare series.
The naval crossing exercise is part of the Royal Australian Navy’s regional presence deployment across South East Asia and the Pacific.
In June, the two countries signed two landmark defense agreements – the Australia-India Mutual Logistics Support Agreement and the Defense Science and Technology Implementation Agreement – as part of the new strategic partnership global announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows the armies of the two countries to use their mutual bases for repair and resupply of supplies in addition to facilitating the intensification of global defense cooperation. India has signed similar agreements with the United States, France, Singapore and Japan.
The Science and Technology Implementation Arrangement will facilitate better collaboration between defense science and technology research organizations of the two countries.
“We now have a strong framework for Indian and Australian defense organizations to enhance our research collaboration and develop defense capabilities that help maintain our technological lead in this era of rapid change and threats. increasing, ”Ms. Reynolds said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
