Rajnath Singh’s Australia Visit: From Strategic Talks to AUSTRAHIND Urban Warfare Drills
In a defining moment for Indo-Pacific security architecture, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh landed in Canberra on October 9, 2025 — marking the first such visit by an Indian counterpart in 12 years. The two-day engagement was not just ceremonial; it was a strategic recalibration of India-Australia defence ties, elevating them from “partners” to “co-creators” of regional stability.
Against the backdrop of rising Chinese assertiveness in the Indian Ocean Region and hybrid threats exposed during Operation Sindoor, Singh’s visit delivered tangible outcomes: three new MoUs, MRO cooperation for Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ships, and the launch of Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 in Perth — a joint urban warfare drill that began just three days later.
From Dialogue to Deliverables
The visit built on four ministerial-level engagements since 2020 under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The inaugural India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, co-chaired with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, focused on integrated air and missile defence, secure communications, uncrewed systems, and special forces interoperability.
Singh’s itinerary included a symbolic visit to HMAS Kuttabul naval base in Sydney, where he inspected P-8I Poseidon aircraft — the same platform India operates for maritime surveillance. Marles extended an invitation for India to join Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 and offered MRO support for Indian naval vessels at Australian facilities — a game-changer for operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific.
AUSTRAHIND 2025: Urban Combat in Focus
Launched on October 13 at Irwin Barracks in Perth, AUSTRAHIND 2025 is the fourth iteration of the bilateral exercise but the most complex to date. One hundred and twenty Indian troops from the Rajput Regiment joined Australia’s 13th Brigade for two weeks of intense training in urban and semi-urban sub-conventional operations.
The drill scenario: a megacity under hybrid attack — drones, IEDs, and non-state actors operating in dense civilian areas. Key training modules included:
- Close-quarters battle (CQB) in multi-story buildings
- Drone swarm integration for ISR and precision strikes
- Live-fire coordination with Australian M1A1 Abrams and Indian T-90 tanks
- Amphibious insertion via landing craft (linking to Exercise Puk Puk)
The exercise introduced AI-driven decision tools for real-time threat assessment — a direct outcome of the new MoU on information sharing. Australian troops trained on India’s Akashteer command system, while Indian forces gained exposure to the ADF’s Joint Fires Network.
Strategic Context: Countering Shared Threats
The timing was deliberate. Just days earlier, China’s Yuan Wang 5 surveillance ship was tracked near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Australia, a core Quad member, shares India’s concerns over Beijing’s growing IOR footprint. The new MoUs enable real-time maritime domain awareness (MDA) data exchange — critical for tracking submarine and surface threats.
Singh’s meetings with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reinforced economic-security convergence. Australia welcomed India’s participation
