New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, Chief of the Australian Army, will visit India from August 10–14 for high-level talks with Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and senior Ministry of Defence officials, in a move aimed at deepening strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
The Indian Army termed the visit as “strategically significant,” highlighting its role in strengthening the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advancing military-to-military collaboration as both nations work to uphold a stable and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
Lieutenant General Simon Stuart’s visit to India reflects the Indian Army’s rising profile as a credible partner in the Indo-Pacific and its commitment to shaping collective preparedness through meaningful cooperation. As both Armies engage in frank and forward-looking discussions, this visit is expected to consolidate operational synergy and strategic , laying the groundwork for the next phase of Army-to-Army collaboration in the region.
The two armies have steadily expanded cooperation in recent years, marked by joint exercises such as AUSTRAHIND, the flagship bilateral counter-terrorism drill and participation in multinational engagements including Exercise Talisman Sabre. The next edition of AUSTRAHIND is scheduled in Australia in November 2025.
At the government level, India and Australia maintain a dynamic and evolving defence partnership, reinforced by active institutional mechanisms that ensure sustained engagement and strategic coordination.
The visit comes against the backdrop of an active India–Australia defence dialogue, including the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi in November 2023 and Defence Policy Talks in Australia in July 2023, underscoring the momentum in strategic engagement between the two democracies.
These dialogues, along with working groups and staff-level talks, continue to drive forward-looking cooperation in capability development, logistics, interoperability, and strategic posturing in the Indo-Pacific.
From this robust foundation, the Indian Army–Australian Army bilateral engagement has emerged as a key pillar in the growing military partnership.
