NEW DELHI, June 1 (ANI) — India and Australia announced Monday that they will begin developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the provision of defense articles and services as the next step in deepening defense industrial collaboration. The move marks a significant step toward the co-production and co-development of military hardware.
The decision was announced following the second India-Australia Defense Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi, where Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles.
The two sides reviewed progress made since the inaugural dialogue on Oct. 9, 2025, and discussed ways to strengthen strategic and defense ties.
In a joint statement, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation and advancing the long-term vision established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
They also welcomed progress toward renewing and strengthening the Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
“Ministers agreed to explore further exchanges, including through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Material,” the statement said.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was progress in bilateral maritime security cooperation and efforts to finalize the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap.
The two ministers agreed to advance collaborative maritime domain awareness activities involving maritime patrol aircraft and explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness. They also encouraged greater cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia’s Maritime Border Command.
The ministers reaffirmed the importance of working with regional partners to help maintain a free, open, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
They underscored the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as their strong support for unimpeded trade and other lawful uses of the sea in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
India and Australia, which jointly lead the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security, will host a Search and Rescue (SAR) and tabletop exercise at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Chennai in June 2026.
The exercise is intended to strengthen maritime safety and security cooperation across the Indian Ocean region.
The two countries also expressed interest in exploring future defense science and technology research collaboration in emerging fields, including sensor technologies.
Marles invited India to participate in the 2026 Australian Defence Science, Technology, and Research Summit.
The ministers also agreed to explore arrangements to enhance procedural interoperability for exercises and operations, building on the 2020 Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement.
“They also agreed to continue aircraft deployment from each other’s territories to build operational familiarity,” the joint statement said. (ANI)
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