India, Australia reaffirm maritime partnership, discuss strengthening naval engagement

Canberra, Aug 28 (IANS) India and Australia on Friday reaffirmed their strong maritime partnership and discussed further strengthening cooperation between the navies of the two nations.

The discussions were held during a meeting between India’s High Commissioner to Australia, Nagesh Singh and Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Matthew Paul Buckley. It was the first meeting between the two officials after Vice Admiral Buckley assumed the leadership of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on July 7, succeeding Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

“High Commissioner of India Nagesh Singh paid a courtesy call on Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley AM CSC RAN, Chief of Navy, Royal Australian Navy, on his assuming the leadership of the RAN,” the Indian High Commission in Australia posted on X.

“The meeting reaffirmed the strong India-Australia maritime partnership and discussed further strengthening cooperation and engagement between the Indian Navy and Australian Navy,” it added.

Earlier this month, the Indian and Australian navies held discussions on strengthening operational interoperability and expanding bilateral cooperation in capability building and training, with a focus on further deepening maritime collaboration between the two countries.

The discussions were held during the 17th Navy-to-Navy Staff talks between the Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney from August 11-12.

In a post on X, the Indian Navy spokesperson said: “The 17th Indian Navy–Royal Australian Navy Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks were held in Sydney from 11-12 Aug 26, co-chaired by RAdm Sachin Reuben Sequeira, ACNS (FCI), and RAdm Christopher Smith, Commander Australian Fleet. Building on the strong India-Australia maritime partnership, discussions focused on enhancing operational interoperability, increasing the complexity of bilateral exercises, and advancing cooperation in capability building and training.”

“The engagement reaffirmed the shared commitment of Indian Navy and Australian Navy towards a stronger and more interoperable maritime partnership,” it added.

Earlier, the Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in the Exercise Pitch Black 26 at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Darwin in Australia from July 20 to August 7. The IAF contingent comprised highly skilled air warriors, including pilots, engineers, technicians, controllers, and other subject-matter experts.

Pitch Black is the Royal Australian Air Force’s biennial international air combat exercise, and this year more than 2,500 personnel and 100 aircraft from 21 partner nations have showcased their ability to work together for the past three weeks, according to the statement by the Australian Defence Department.

–IANS

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