📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pahari Sahib
Defence
India and Australia Launch Joint Military Exercises in Kerala
✍️ News18
🗓 23 Oct 2026, 04:02 AM
👁 15
The first phase of the India‑Australia joint drill, named AUSTRAHIND 2026, commenced in Kerala, marking a deepening defence partnership between the two nations.
The India‑Australia joint military drill AUSTRAHIND 2026 began this week in the southern state of Kerala, bringing together troops, aircraft and naval assets from both countries. The exercise is being conducted under the framework of the existing strategic partnership and aims to improve interoperability across land, air and sea domains.
Participating forces include Indian Army infantry battalions, the Indian Navy's Western Fleet, and Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy units. Training scenarios cover amphibious landings, joint air‑to‑ground operations and coordinated maritime patrols, reflecting the emphasis on regional security and disaster‑relief readiness.
Defence officials from New Delhi and Canberra said the drill underscores a shared commitment to a free and open Indo‑Pacific region. They highlighted that joint training enhances tactical coordination, boosts mutual confidence and contributes to collective response capabilities against emerging threats.
New Zealand has been invited as an observer for the later phases of AUSTRAHIND 2026, signalling broader multilateral interest in the exercise, though the core activities remain focused on India‑Australia cooperation.
Participating forces include Indian Army infantry battalions, the Indian Navy's Western Fleet, and Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy units. Training scenarios cover amphibious landings, joint air‑to‑ground operations and coordinated maritime patrols, reflecting the emphasis on regional security and disaster‑relief readiness.
Defence officials from New Delhi and Canberra said the drill underscores a shared commitment to a free and open Indo‑Pacific region. They highlighted that joint training enhances tactical coordination, boosts mutual confidence and contributes to collective response capabilities against emerging threats.
New Zealand has been invited as an observer for the later phases of AUSTRAHIND 2026, signalling broader multilateral interest in the exercise, though the core activities remain focused on India‑Australia cooperation.