India-Australia Security Partnership

Why in the news?

Australian Government in its National Defense Strategy (NDS) 2024 identified India as ‘top-tier security partner’ in the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR).

More on news

• NDS highlighted that Australia will continue to seek opportunities with India to drive practical bilateral and multilateral cooperation, defense industry cooperation and information sharing.

Concept of Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is the world’s economic and strategic centre of gravity, home to more than half of the world’s population, and nearly 2/3rds of the global economy. India’s definition of the “Indo-Pacific” stretches from the Eastern coast of Africa to the islands of the South Pacific. India’s policy perspective on Indo-Pacific includes “inclusiveness”, “openness”, “ASEAN centrality” and that the concept was not directed against any country.

Significance of India-Australia Partnership 

• Shared Strategic Interests: Both have a vested interest in maintaining a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
• Counterbalancing China: While not explicitly stated, the India-Australia partnership is widely seen as a counterbalance to China's growing influence in the region. Both aim to preserve a balance of power and prevent any single country from dominating the region.
• Addressing non-traditional issues: By collaborating closely, both can address issues such as terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, marine pollution, and climate change more effectively, thereby enhancing the overall security and sustainability of the region.
• Cooperation in new Initiatives: Australia expressed support for India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) which will promote better coordination and cooperation among the countries in the region on maritime related issues.

Initiative taken to enhance Security partnership

• Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP): Upgraded bilateral ties in 2020 underscore strategic cooperation between the two nations. This includes a 2+2 Ministerial dialogues (2021), as well as a Joint Declaration on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (2020).
• QUAD Partnership: India and Australia, alongside the US and Japan, are partnering to advance a practical and positive agenda supporting an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
• Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA) and Defense Science and Technology Implementing Arrangement provide a framework to deepen defense cooperation.
  • MLSA facilitates sophisticated logistic cooperation, enabling increasingly complex military engagement, and combined responsiveness to regional humanitarian disasters.
    • The first deployment of Indian Navy and Air Force aircraft to Australia’s Cocos Keeling Islands in June and July 2023 exemplified this cooperation.
• Military Exercises: AUSINDEX (maritime), PITCH BLACK (Air force), AUSTRAHIND (annual training event), Malabar Exercise (Quadrilateral)
• Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) helps shape maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to support an open, inclusive, resilient, prosperous and rules-based maritime order.

Divergence in India Australia Security Relations 

• Geopolitical Divergence: Australia's alliance with the U.S. and India's strategic autonomy pose challenges to aligning their geopolitical interests completely.
• The dynamics of the Indo-Pacific Construct: India has traditionally seen itself as an Indian Ocean power, while Australia has historically focused more on the Pacific.
• Asymmetric Priorities: Australia views the challenge of China in terms of its politics, society, and economy, as well as regional security. In contrast, India sees China as a direct military threat along its contested border. 
  • For instance, many experts observe that India's refusal to join the US-Australia Talisman Sabre military exercise reflects its cautious approach. 

Measures to strengthen India Australia Security Relations 

• Mutual Expansion in Indo-Pacific: While Australia can facilitate India's involvement in the South Pacific through its support and collaboration, India needs to work with Australia as a part of CDRI initiative in the Western Indian Ocean Region.
• Deepen technological Cooperation: Unexplored opportunities can be explored like the joint production of armoured vehicles, undersea sensors, radar systems, and various subsystems. 
• Improve interoperability: Interoperability in maritime sphere can deepen in terms of maritime domain awareness (MDA), search and rescue operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
  • More active Australian involvement in Indian defense industry exhibitions like DEFEXPO and Aero India would enhance collaboration prospects in this sector.
• Implementation of Agreements: MLSA should be fully implemented to enable routine logistical support, facilitating tri-services exercises, cross-basing, and joint operations.