Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan is set to visit Australia from Tuesday to Friday to hold a series of high-level talks to deepen the ties between the two countries in defence cooperation.
According to the defence ministry, the four-day visit underscores the growing engagement between India and Australia who share a commitment towards strengthening diplomatic and military collaboration under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The two countries also seek to foster greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The partnership between India and Australia is based on a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. According to the Australian Consulate-General, the India-Australia defence relationship is focused on "bolstering maritime security cooperation, information sharing, defence industry and military education and training."
The Australia-India defence relationship encompasses strategic dialogues, coordination and information sharing, military drills, military-to-military exchanges and training and defence industrial and technological cooperation.
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA)m, signed between the two countries, allows the militaries of India and Australia to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation.
During his visit, CDS Gen. Chauhan will hold discussions with senior officials from the Australian Department of Defence and military leadership of the Australian Defence Force, including his Australian counterpart General Admiral David Johnston, Secretary of Defence Greg Moriarty and the chiefs of the three services.
In a bid to gain insights into Australia’s operational command structure and discuss potential avenues for joint operations, he will visit the Force Command Headquarters. He will also interact with the Australian Fleet Commander and the Joint Operations Commander.
CDS Gen. Chauhan will also visit the Australian Defence College where he will address senior officers on strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Further, he will chair a round table discussion at Australia’s premier think tank Lowy Institute.
