Editorial 1: India-Australia defence ties beyond American shadows
Context
Australia’s recognition of India as a ‘top-tier security partner’ can aid in navigating a world where U.S. security guarantees are seen as increasingly conditional.
Introduction
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has caused significant disruption in the global security landscape. With NATO being placed on a burden-sharing timeline and Trump’s cold, transactional approach to security commitments worldwide, the Indo-Pacific region is at a critical juncture. However, this also presents a strategic opportunity for middle powers like India and Australia to strengthen their defence relationship.
Strategic Complementarity of Australia and India
- Australia’s strategic geography bridges the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with territories and a military presence near Southeast Asia.
- This geographical position complements India’s maritime ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.
- The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has extensive experience in coalition operations, enhancing Indian military capabilities.
- Example: The recently implemented air-to-air refuelling arrangement extends operational reach.
- Australia’s established relationships with Pacific Island nations align with India’s growing interests in the region.
- Both nations share concerns about China’s assertiveness and hold a common vision for sovereign resilience and regional stability.
Strengthening the New Delhi-Canberra Defence Partnership
- While Japan, South Korea, and Europe are valuable partners for India, the New Delhi-Canberra defence relationship has built strong bureaucratic foundations.
- Over the past decade, successive Australian Prime Ministers and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi have elevated this partnership.
- Canberra now regards New Delhi as a “top-tier security partner”.
- This relationship provides a solid launch pad to navigate a world where American security guarantees are perceived as increasingly conditional.
Bureaucratic Foundations and Practical Cooperation
- Key institutional frameworks include:
- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2020.
- The 2+2 ministerial dialogue launched in 2021 for high-level strategic coordination.
- Practical cooperation has advanced through agreements such as:
- Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), streamlining logistics during joint exercises and humanitarian missions.
- November 2024 Air-to-Air refuelling arrangement, enabling the Royal Australian Air Force to extend the operational reach of Indian aircraft.
- Military exercises demonstrate the depth of cooperation:
- AUSTRAHIND (Army).
- AUSINDEX (Navy).
- Participation in multilateral exercises such as Pitch Black and Malabar.
- These reflect a decade of careful relationship-building.
Limitations and Challenges
- Neither New Delhi nor Canberra can fully fill the security gap left by the United States alone.
- India’s continental challenges remain significant:
- Active border dispute with China.
- Conventional and sub-conventional threats from Pakistan.
- Australia is undergoing major changes in its strategic role and military capabilities:
- Comprehensive overhaul of the armed forces.
- Acquisitions under AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, U.S.).
- Increased outreach to smaller island states within its maritime geography.
Immediate Priorities for Regional Security Cooperation
Given the evolving regional security architecture, both India and Australia must focus on the following five aspects for effective partnership and resilience:
- Rebalance Defence Engagement Beyond Silos
- While Navy-to-Navy cooperation has thrived, there is a pressing need to break down service barriers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
- This can be advanced through joint military exercises that simulate real-world operations.
- Both countries should move towards establishing a dedicated forum for joint staff talks.
- Aim to conduct a major combined joint exercise within the next decade that thoroughly tests their collective capabilities.
- Enhance India’s Defence Footprint in Canberra
- India should upgrade its Defence Adviser (DA) position in Canberra to a one-star rank to reflect the strategic importance of the relationship.
- Traditionally held by a Navy official, the position could be strengthened by including dedicated Army and Air Force personnel as assistants to ensure balanced service participation.
- There is a need for dedicated personnel to handle engagement with Pacific Island nations, a role currently managed by the efficient DA in Canberra.
- Elevate Ground-Level Ideas and Operational Insights
- India must promote ground-up ideas from working-level personnel rather than limiting dialogues to diplomatic formalities.
- Including more uniformed professionals with operational experience and creating spaces for classified discussions can foster fresh, actionable thinking.
- Initiatives such as fellowships for staff college graduates and regular war-gaming exchanges will enhance mutual understanding and build the foundation for genuine cooperation.
- Explore Cooperation in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO)
- India should deepen cooperation with Australia in the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of naval vessels.
- New Delhi has demonstrated strong capabilities in this sector, with ongoing contracts involving the U.S. and British navies.
- Joint efforts in manufacturing and supplying patrol boats for small island security forces in the Indian Ocean Region and Pacific will reinforce joint intentions and capabilities.
- Though seemingly modest, collaboration in MRO and patrol boats will generate significant second- and third-order effects, particularly through exposure to each other’s technologies and platforms.
- Reset Defence Industry Collaboration
- The defence industry collaboration between India and Australia requires a fresh approach.
- Most of Australia’s major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are branch offices of European, East Asian, or American firms.
- Consequently, Indian OEMs have tended to engage directly with the parent companies of these firms abroad rather than their Australian offices.
- This has resulted in a missed opportunity to deepen cooperation within the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
- Defence and aerospace startups in both countries are leading the way in cutting-edge technologies.
- Their work in components and dual-use technologies makes them ideal partners for collaboration, offering significant potential for joint innovation and growth.
Conclusion
Similar to New Delhi, Canberra is also pursuing an indigenisation programme in the defence sector. Hence, there is an opportunity to align the MSME sectors of both countries. To facilitate this, they could consider adopting a model akin to the U.S.-India INDUS X framework.