Army chief charts ways to expand defence cooperation during Australia visit | India News
New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, during his visit to Australia from February 16 to 19, extensively engaged with the senior leadership of the Australian Defense Force to review ongoing bilateral engagements and chart pathways for expanding Army-to-Army cooperation.Discussions focused on increasing the scope and complexity of joint exercises, strengthening professional military education exchanges and promoting greater interoperability between the two forces. His visit advanced India-Australia defense cooperation and deepened strategic alignment between the two countries, an army statement said.As part of his high-level engagement, General Dwivedi met the Chief of Defense Forces and the Defense Secretary. At Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), the general commander reviewed Australia’s integrated and multi-domain operational framework with joint operations, gaining insight into joint planning and execution processes, the statement noted.In Sydney, General Dwivedi interacted with the leadership of the Forces Command, Special Operations Command and the 2nd Division of the Australian Army. The exchange enabled both sides to share perspectives on force readiness, operational concepts and training methods. Special attention was paid to the bilateral military exercise Austrahind, with both sides pledging to enrich its upcoming edition in India in 2026.In Canberra, General Dwivedi held important discussions with Australian Army Chief Lt. Gen. Simon Stewart. Drawing on their shared professional association as alumni of the US Army War College (Class of 2015), the two majors reiterated their commitment to strengthening institutional ties and expanding avenues of collaboration. A wide-ranging roundtable discussion at Australian Defense Force Headquarters examined issues related to force modernisation, emerging technologies and the future operational environment. The Chief of Army Staff also met Vice-Admiral Justin Jones, Joint Operations Chief of the Australian Defense Force at the Joint Operations Command.
