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Indian Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will travel to Australia and New Zealand from September 9, in a fresh push to deepen India’s maritime and defence engagement with the two key Indo-Pacific partners amid growing emphasis on interoperability, information sharing and operational cooperation.
The visit comes at a time when India’s defence ties with both countries gain greater strategic depth. With Australia, it follows the Third India-Australia Annual Summit in July and the Second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in June, while the New Zealand leg comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July visit to the country, during which the two sides elevated bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership.
In Australia, Swaminathan is scheduled to hold talks with senior leadership of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Australian defence establishment to review ongoing naval cooperation and identify areas for expanding operational interaction, interoperability, information sharing, training and professional exchanges.
The Navy Chief will also visit operational and training establishments and interact with Australian naval personnel. Discussions are expected to cover maritime capabilities, emerging technologies and professional military education, reflecting the widening scope of cooperation between the two navies.
The New Zealand visit assumes particular significance following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and the recently concluded Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, which provides a broader framework for practical maritime engagement between the two countries.
Swaminathan will hold discussions with senior leadership of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the wider New Zealand defence establishment, with a focus on strengthening operational interaction, information sharing, training and professional exchanges.
He will also visit key operational and training establishments and interact with RNZN personnel and officers undergoing professional military education.
The twin visits underline the Indian Navy’s effort to build more sustained and practical maritime partnerships with Australia and New Zealand, particularly as India steps up its engagement with like-minded Indo-Pacific countries on maritime security and regional stability.
Beyond high-level exchanges, the emphasis on interoperability, information sharing, training and operational interaction points to a gradual shift toawards more substantive naval cooperation, aimed at enhancing the ability of the three navies to work together in the wider Indo-Pacific.
Team BharatShakti
