PM Modi’s Australia Visit Strengthens Defence Ties with P-8 Jets, Logistics Pacts, and Joint Military Drills Guarding the Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest visit to Australia has further solidified the strategic bond between New Delhi and Canberra. With regional security challenges on the rise, this deepening alliance gives both nations a more prominent role in safeguarding stability and security across the Indo-Pacific.

Over recent years, India and Australia have successfully upgraded their relationship into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. A key foundation of this pact is the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), which both nations signed in 2020. This agreement grants reciprocal access to military bases, streamlines logistics interoperability, and paves the way for seamless joint operations across land, air, and sea domains.

At its core, this expanding defense alliance is driven by a shared vision: preserving a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, with maritime security serving as a primary pillar of cooperation.

Tracking Subsurface Threats and Boosting Surveillance

To translate this vision into action, both capitals are currently finalizing a Joint Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap. The initiative is designed to boost maritime domain awareness through coordinated patrols, undersea surveillance, and enhanced intelligence sharing. Furthermore, both militaries operate American-made P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. This shared technology significantly amplifies their anti-submarine warfare capabilities and expands their surveillance reach right across the Indian Ocean.

High-Octane Bilateral and Multilateral War Games

Military drills between the two nations are also hitting a new peak:

Exercise Kakadu & Talisman Sabre: India is slated to join Australia's Exercise Kakadu in 2026 and Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2027. Conversely, Australia will take part in Milan, India’s flagship naval exercise.

Exercise Pitch Black: A bilateral air-to-air refueling agreement is set to be operationalized during Exercise Pitch Black, Australia's premier multinational air combat exercise. Pitch Black 2026 will feature over 100 aircraft and thousands of personnel from 20 nations, with the Indian Air Force executing complex combat missions and night-flying drills over Australia’s Northern Territory.

Land & Specialized Operations: Army-to-army ties are accelerating through Exercise AustraHind, India’s involvement in Operation Render Safe, and Australian participation in submarine rescue drills like Exercise Black Carillon.

Expanding Horizons as Regional Security Providers

The collaboration also extends to civil maritime safety. The Indian Coast Guard and Australia's Maritime Border Command have significantly ramped up their joint efforts. As co-leads of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Working Group on Maritime Safety and Security, they recently executed a joint search-and-rescue exercise at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Chennai. This highlights their mutual focus on protecting Sea Lines of Communication and boosting humanitarian aid and disaster response resources.

Moving beyond bilateral ties, India and Australia are increasingly stepping up as regional security providers. India has stretched its naval footprint well into the Pacific, evidenced by the INS Kadmatt’s visit to Papua New Guinea alongside Australian naval vessels. Both countries continue to refine their interoperability through regular drills like AusIndEx, AustraHind, Pitch Black, Milan, and Malabar. India’s inclusion in Exercise Talisman Sabre alongside 18 other countries emphasizes its growing alignment with Australia's defense frameworks.

The Future of Defense Tech and Industrial Ties

This defense partnership is reaching far beyond traditional military exercises. Secure communication networks, intelligence sharing, and professional military training are all being reinforced—including the posting of an Indian instructor to the Australian Defence College. Meanwhile, the defense industrial sector is gaining serious traction. Australia’s inaugural defense trade mission to India and the 2025 Defence Industry Roundtable marked major breakthroughs in industrial collaboration. Moving forward, the two democracies plan to pursue joint research in advanced sensor technologies, alongside India's scheduled participation in the 2026 Australian Defence Science Summit.

As Prime Minister Modi holds talks with Australian leadership, defense and security cooperation stands out as a defining pillar of the India-Australia narrative, mirroring a powerful strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific.
 

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