Indian and Australian troops train together in Keralam. (Photo: Indian Army)
Thiruvananthapuram: Australia’s high commissioner to India, Philip Green, visited the ongoing India-Australia bilateral Army exercise Austrahind 2026 at Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, as the two armies continued their training in coastal and island terrain.
The fifth edition of the exercise began on October 19 at the Foreign Training Node in the Keralam capital and will run for 14 days, until November 1.
About 120 personnel from each side are taking part. The Indian contingent is drawn from the Garhwal Rifles, along with personnel from other arms and services. Australia has sent troops from its 13th Infantry Brigade.
The exercise is being held under the theme “Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate”. The troops are training across jungle, island and coastal terrain. The schedule includes physical conditioning, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism drills, combat swimming and drone manoeuvring.
The Indian Army said the exercise aims to improve combat readiness, tactical coordination and interoperability, and to build mutual trust between the two armies. An observer delegation from New Zealand is taking part for the first time.
Green said India was becoming an increasingly important security partner for Australia. He pointed to the strategic importance of the eastern Indian Ocean, which links the two countries. He also stressed the need for closer defence cooperation to deal with emerging multi-domain security challenges and to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The high commissioner said joint exercises such as Austrahind strengthen strategic trust, operational interoperability and military-to-military cooperation between the two nations.
Austrahind has been held since 2022 and has alternated between the two countries. The fourth edition took place at Irwin Barracks in Perth, Australia, from October 13 to 26, 2025. This year’s edition brings the exercise back to India.
The focus on island and coastal operations reflects the shared maritime concerns of both countries in the Indo-Pacific. Both have steadily widened their defence engagement in recent years, and Austrahind has become one of the regular army-level exercises in that partnership.
