Australia and India have announced a major expansion of their defence and security cooperation, with Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi signing a new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation during Modi’s visit to Melbourne.
The agreement aims to strengthen strategic coordination between the two nations and support their shared vision of an open, peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region.
The declaration commits both countries to deeper defence engagement, including more complex military exercises, improved interoperability between their armed forces, increased information sharing and greater cooperation on emerging security challenges.
Prime Minister Modi said discussions with Prime Minister Albanese reflected the growing strength of the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2022.
“Held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Albanese in Melbourne this afternoon. The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of 2022 has continuously expanded the scope of our cooperation,” Modi said.
“We have now decided to accelerate work on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, with unprecedented progress over the past few years. We talked about how to add more vigour to trade and investment linkages.”
The two leaders also discussed strengthening cooperation in defence, technology, maritime security and critical supply chains.
Under the new declaration, Australia and India will increase strategic consultations on defence developments affecting shared interests in the Indo-Pacific, while expanding defence exercises and building stronger links between their defence personnel through training, education and exchanges.
Maritime security has been identified as a key area of cooperation, with both countries endorsing an India–Australia Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.
The roadmap will support closer operational coordination, information sharing and capability development in response to growing maritime security challenges.
Australia’s Maritime Border Command and the Indian Coast Guard will also enhance cooperation through a new memorandum of understanding focused on civil maritime security.
The leaders announced the Australia–India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (Australia-India PACTS), designed to strengthen cooperation in cyber resilience, emerging technologies, industrial capability and secure supply chains.
Prime Minister Albanese said the expanded defence partnership reflected the strategic alignment between the two democracies.
“In an increasingly challenging global environment, our defence and security cooperation is a force for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Albanese said.
“The Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation demonstrates our growing strategic alignment and articulates our shared vision for the region.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s defence relationship with India continued to grow.
“Australia’s defence relationship with India is growing from strength to strength, underpinned by a shared ambition to enhance cooperation across all domains.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the partnership was increasingly important in a changing global environment.
“In a more uncertain and disrupted world, Australia and India’s partnership has never been more consequential.”
The declaration also commits both countries to cooperate on countering terrorism and violent extremism, including through greater information sharing on terrorist threats, online radicalisation and emerging technologies.
Australia and India will continue working together through regional groupings including the Quad, the Indian Ocean Rim Association and other Indo-Pacific forums.
The latest agreement marks another step in the rapidly expanding Australia–India relationship, which now spans defence, trade, education, critical minerals, technology, space and people-to-people links.
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