• The third edition of joint military exercise ‘AUSTRAHIND’ commenced at Foreign Training Node in Pune on November 8.

• The exercise, an annual event conducted alternatively in India and Australia, will culminate on November 21. 

• The Indian contingent comprising 140 personnel is represented mainly by a battalion of DOGRA Regiment and 14 personnel from the Indian Air Force, while the Australian Army contingent having 120 personnel is represented by 13th Light Horse Regiment of 10th Brigade of 2nd Division. 

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

• The previous edition was conducted in Australia in December 2023. 

• The aim of AUSTRAHIND is to promote military cooperation between India and Australia through enhancement of interoperability in conduct of joint sub conventional operations in semi-urban environments in semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the UN mandate.

• It will enable the two sides to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting tactical operations along with developing bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers.

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, 2022 and 2024. 

• Indian Air Force participated in Exercise Pitch Black in 2018, 2022 and 2024. 

• 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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