Overview

• At the inaugural Australia–India Defence Ministers' Dialogue, the two sides formalised a memorandum on mutual submarine rescue and established a forum for joint staff talks.
• Australia said the partners will deepen information sharing, with both governments also agreeing to pursue collaboration in defence technology.
• India offered to maintain and repair Royal Australian Navy ships in Indian shipyards during Indian Ocean deployments, signalling closer defence‑industrial links.
• Rajnath Singh observed an F-35 air-to-air refuelling from an Australian KC-30A, building on a 2024 arrangement that enables refuelling cooperation and training.
• The visit, the first by an Indian defence minister since 2013, included meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with both sides framing the expanded ties as supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific and noting progress with Quad partners.