Defence Ties take flight: India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh strengthens Strategic partnership with Australia       

India’s Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh’s visit to Australia (10-11 Oct) - the first by an Indian Defence Minister in over a decade - marked an important moment in the growing friendship between the two nations. During his visit, Minister Singh met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong to explore new ways to boost dialogue, cooperation, and complexity in joint and multilateral exercises.  

The visit delivered several breakthroughs - from new agreements on maritime security and operational cooperation to the first Australia - India Defence Industry Roundtable, where both sides explored ways to scale innovation and manufacturing. A highlight was a joint Royal Australian Air Force flight demonstrating the new Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement in action. Read the full joint statement: Joint Statement on the 2025 Australia–India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue

(India’s Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles)