Thiruvananthapuram: Troops of the Indian Army and the Australian Army are in the final days of Exercise AustraHind 2026, a 14-day bilateral military exercise running from October 19 to November 1.
The Indian Navy and Kerala Fire and Rescue Services are also taking part, to improve coordination between agencies and joint operational capability.
The fifth edition began on October 19 at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram. The Indian contingent is drawn from the Garhwal Rifles, supported by personnel from other arms and services. Australia has sent troops of its 13th Infantry Brigade. Each side has deployed about 120 personnel, around 240 in all.
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 have trained in jungle, island and coastal terrain, beginning with physical conditioning and tactical drills. Drills such as combat swimming and drone manoeuvring have been part of the schedule.
The training has since moved on to maritime and air operations. Troops have carried out sea insertion and air insertion drills aimed at better coordinated induction, tactical manoeuvring and mission execution in difficult operating conditions.
A major part of the exercise is Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). The troops are rehearsing rescue operations, casualty evacuation and coordinated emergency response. The presence of the Indian Navy and Kerala Fire and Rescue Services adds a civil-military dimension to these drills and prepares the participants for complex contingencies.
The armies said the exercise would improve combat readiness, operational coordination and interoperability, while building mutual trust and strengthening the India–Australia defence partnership.
Background
AustraHind is a bilateral army exercise held between the two countries. Its first edition was conducted in 2022. The previous edition took place at Irwin Barracks in Perth from October 13 to 26, 2025, so the exercise has now returned to India.
A delegation from New Zealand is attending as an observer for the first time. The Indo-Pacific is described as the shared area of interest, and the exercise underlines the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia. This edition also shifts the focus from the arid and urban terrain of the Perth exercise to tropical, coastal and island conditions.
