India, Australia map expanded naval drills for 2027 amid growing maritime cooperation
India, Australia map expanded naval drills for 2027. (Image courtesy: X/@indiannavy)
New Delhi: India and Australia are looking to expand the scale and frequency of naval exercises in 2027 as both countries seek closer operational coordination across the Indo-Pacific. The plan emerged from a series of meetings by the chief of the naval staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan in Australia, where discussions focused on future exercises, fleet developments and strengthening interoperability between the two navies.
During his meeting with Australian navy chief Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley at the Russell offices in Canberra on Friday, Admiral Swaminathan reviewed bilateral naval cooperation and discussed multiple exercise opportunities for 2027. The focus on future exercises points to an effort by both sides to make naval interaction more regular and operationally meaningful rather than limiting cooperation to periodic drills.
Admiral Swaminathan was also accorded a traditional welcome at the Russell Offices, featuring a Smoking Ceremony reflecting Australia’s Indigenous heritage, followed by a ceremonial guard of honour. The ceremonial welcome marked the commencement of his engagements in Canberra during his official visit to Australia.
Admiral Swaminathan also met chief of the Australian defence force, Admiral Mark Hammond, with talks covering the broader India-Australia defence partnership and implementation of the “Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap”. The discussions included ways to translate the two countries’ strategic convergence into practical cooperation across the maritime domain.
The discussions come as Australia is reshaping its naval fleet and preparing to induct a new class of frigates. Canberra has contracted Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build the first three upgraded Mogami-class general-purpose frigates, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2029, while Australia plans to acquire 11 ships of the class, RNA Media reported.
Admiral Swaminathan discussed Australia’s evolving fleet capabilities during a meeting with commander Australian fleet Rear Admiral Anita Williams at HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney on Thursday. The talks covered future inductions and possible areas for greater operational interaction, although there was no announcement of any India-Australia joint procurement or platform-specific cooperation.
India and Australia already conduct the bilateral AUSINDEX naval exercise and participate together in the multilateral Malabar exercise. Their maritime cooperation has also expanded into information sharing, training, professional exchanges and maritime security initiatives.
Why the 2027 push matters
The latest discussions indicate that India and Australia are seeking to build a more sustained naval partnership at a time when maritime security has become increasingly important to the Indo-Pacific. More frequent exercises could allow the two navies to improve coordination, familiarize themselves with each other’s operating procedures and strengthen their ability to work together during maritime contingencies.
Admiral Swaminathan’s visit also underlines the widening scope of India-Australia defence cooperation, with discussions extending from exercises and fleet capabilities to maritime domain awareness and undersea security.
