• Australia is hosting the second edition of the joint military exercise AUSTRAHIND in Perth from November 22 to December 6.

• Indian Army contingent comprises 60 personnel from a battalion of Gorkha Rifles. One officer from the Indian Navy and 20 personnel from the Indian Air Force are also participating from the Indian side. 

• The Australian Army contingent comprising 60 personnel is from the 13th Brigade. It includes 20 personnel each from the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.

• The first edition of AUSTRAHIND exercise was conducted in Mahajan in Rajasthan in 2022. 

• It is planned to be an annual training event to be conducted alternately in India and Australia.

• The aim of the exercise is to foster collaborative partnership and share best practices between the two sides.

• The exercise will promote interoperability while undertaking multi-domain operations in urban and semi-urban terrains under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter on peacekeeping operations.

• The joint exercise will promote exchange of ideas and jointly rehearse tactics, technique and procedures for conducting tactical operations. 

• The exercise will also help in promoting understanding between the two militaries and further strengthen the defence cooperation between the two friendly nations. 

Other exercises involving Australia

• The first-ever bilateral maritime exercise — AUSINDEX — was conducted in Visakhapatnam and the Bay of Bengal in September 2015. 

• The Royal Australian Navy has participated in every iteration of Exercise Milan since 2003. 

• Indian ships participated in Kakadu, the biennial multinational exercise of the Australian Navy held in 2018 and 2022. 

• Indian Air Force participated in Exercise Pitch Black in 2018 and in 2022. 

• India participated in the French-led naval wargame ‘La Perouse’ in April 2021 in Bay of Bengal along with Australia, the US and Japan. 

• In October 2020, Australia participated in Exercise Malabar, joining India, the United States and Japan. In August 2023 Australia hosted Exercise Malabar for the first time.

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