India set to invite Australia to join Malabar naval exercises
- Military sources say offer to join Japan and America in four-way drill is logical next step after the two countries agreed to improve cooperation last month
- New Delhi has moved to strengthen relations with Asia-Pacific nations as its relationship with China deteriorates
India is planning to invite Australia to join its annual Malabar naval exercise as it seeks to strengthen its relationship with other Asia-Pacific countries amid ongoing tensions with China.
India has yet to issue a formal invitation, but officials said it was in the pipeline after both sides agreed to improve defence cooperation at a virtual summit on June 4.
Japan and the United States have already been invited to join the exercise.
“Such a move involves not just geopolitical considerations but also logistical ones since it would mean at least four navies participating. The question is how do we still ensure the exercise remains meaningful for all the four?” said an Indian military source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We also need to consult our Japanese and American counterparts.”
Diplomatic sources said the move would be a logical next step after the virtual summit between the two countries, where they signed a mutual logistics support agreement, a document that will allow the two militaries to access each other’s bases and help the militaries share resources.