Army Chief’s Australia Visit Signals Stronger Indo-Pacific Military Ties

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi will embark on a four-day visit to Australia on Monday, in a move aimed at deepening defence cooperation and expanding army-to-army engagement between the two countries.

The visit comes amid growing strategic convergence between India and Australia in the Indo-Pacific. Officials said the focus will be on enhancing training exchanges, joint exercises and professional military interaction.

In Canberra, Gen Dwivedi will hold talks with Lt Gen Simon Stuart, Chief of the Australian Army. The two generals share a long-standing professional association. Both are alumni of the US Army War College’s “Class of 2015”.

The discussions are expected to cover operational cooperation, force modernisation and emerging security challenges. A comprehensive round table at the Australian Defence Forces Headquarters will follow the bilateral meeting. Senior officers from both sides will take part.

Gen Dwivedi will also address officers at the Australian Command and Staff College, where he is expected to speak on regional security dynamics and India’s approach to military transformation.

From Canberra, the Army Chief will travel to Sydney. There, he will meet senior leadership of Australia’s Forces Command (FORCOMD) and the Special Operations Command (SOCOMD).

The Defence Ministry said the visit reflects the shared commitment of both countries to strengthening defence ties and contributing jointly to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Team BharatShakti