India and Australia have agreed to begin developing a Memorandum of Understanding on the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services, the two countries said in a joint statement following the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue held on June 1, 2026.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles for the dialogue, where the two sides reviewed progress in the bilateral defence relationship since the inaugural dialogue on October 9, 2025.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, underscoring the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded trade consistent with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Also read: India, Australia to hold second defence ministers' dialogue in New Delhi on June 1
On maritime security, the ministers discussed efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and agreed to advance collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by patrol aircraft. They also agreed to explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness and encouraged further cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia's Maritime Border Command.
The two sides noted the expansion of military cooperation, including the evolution of army Exercise Austrahind to focus on amphibious combat and littoral manoeuvre. India participated for the first time in Operation Render Safe 2026, while Australia was invited to participate in the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. The ministers also looked forward to India's enhanced participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2027.
On defence industry, the ministers welcomed Australia's first defence trade mission to India and the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable, both held in October 2025. They agreed to explore further exchanges through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Materiel.
The ministers also looked forward to exploring defence science and technology cooperation in new areas including sensor technologies. Australia invited India to participate in the 2026 Australian Defence Science, Technology, and Research Summit.
On training cooperation, the ministers encouraged officials to finalise arrangements for the deployment of an Indian visiting instructor at the Australian Defence College in 2028-2029.
The two sides also expressed strong support for the Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) initiative, to be implemented initially in the Indian Ocean Region. They welcomed India's operationalisation of the Indian Ocean Region programme of the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) through the Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram, and agreed to work towards developing a Common Operational Picture across the Indo-Pacific.
India and Australia have agreed to begin developing a Memorandum of Understanding on the Provision of Defence Articles and Defence Services, the two countries said in a joint statement following the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue held on June 1, 2026.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles for the dialogue, where the two sides reviewed progress in the bilateral defence relationship since the inaugural dialogue on October 9, 2025.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, underscoring the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded trade consistent with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Also read: ‘Never more strategically aligned’: Richard Marles in Delhi on India-Australia defence ties
On maritime security, the ministers discussed efforts to finalise the Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and agreed to advance collaborative maritime domain awareness activities by patrol aircraft. They also agreed to explore opportunities to enhance undersea domain awareness and encouraged further cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard and Australia's Maritime Border Command.
The two sides noted the expansion of military cooperation, including the evolution of army Exercise Austrahind to focus on amphibious combat and littoral manoeuvre. India participated for the first time in Operation Render Safe 2026, while Australia was invited to participate in the submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. The ministers also looked forward to India's enhanced participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2027.
On defence industry, the ministers welcomed Australia's first defence trade mission to India and the Australia-India Defence Industry Roundtable, both held in October 2025. They agreed to explore further exchanges through the Joint Working Group on Defence Industry, Research, and Materiel.
The ministers also looked forward to exploring defence science and technology cooperation in new areas including sensor technologies. Australia invited India to participate in the 2026 Australian Defence Science, Technology, and Research Summit.
On training cooperation, the ministers encouraged officials to finalise arrangements for the deployment of an Indian visiting instructor at the Australian Defence College in 2028-2029.
The two sides also expressed strong support for the Quad Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) initiative, to be implemented initially in the Indian Ocean Region.
They welcomed India's operationalisation of the Indian Ocean Region programme of the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) through the Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram, and agreed to work towards developing a Common Operational Picture across the Indo-Pacific.
