New Delhi: India and Australia began the fifth edition of their joint military exercise Austrahind 2026 at the foreign training node in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Monday, focusing on coordinated operations in coastal and island environments. The exercise, involving about 240 soldiers, will continue until November 1 and aims to improve the two armies’ ability to plan and operate together in challenging terrain.
The Indian contingent comprises about 120 personnel from the Garhwal Rifles and other arms and services, while Australia’s 120-member contingent is drawn from 13 Brigade, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The exercise follows the theme ‘Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate’. Chapter VII of the UN Charter concerns Security Council action against threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression.
Soldiers will undertake joint planning, tactical drills and combat-oriented training involving aerial and maritime dimensions. Activities will focus on surveillance and reconnaissance, protection of vital installations and responses to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief emergencies, the ministry said.
Such operations require troops working ashore to share information and coordinate security measures while accounting for the challenges of coastal terrain. Austrahind seeks to develop common tactics, techniques and procedures that allow Indian and Australian units to operate together effectively.
New Zealand observers add regional dimension
For the first time, an observer delegation from New Zealand is attending Austrahind. Its presence adds a wider regional dimension to professional military exchanges without changing the exercise’s bilateral character.
The focus on coastal and island terrain marks a shift from the fourth edition, held at Irwin Barracks in Perth, Australia, from October 13 to 26, 2025. That exercise concentrated on sub-conventional operations in urban and semi-urban settings, including company-level training in open and semi-desert terrain.
The latest drills follow a July declaration by India and Australia to increase the complexity of their defence exercises and expand maritime security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. The two governments also committed to closer operational coordination, information sharing and capability development.
The defence ministry said this year’s training would strengthen military-to-military cooperation, mutual trust and interoperability, and reinforce both countries’ commitment to regional peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.