Logistics pact to be cornerstone of military coop, says Barry O’Farrell

The logistics support agreement signed with India would be the cornerstone of military cooperation, with warships set to conduct refuelling in international waters in the coming days, Australian high commissioner Barry O’Farrell said in an interaction with ET.

Both nations have a common interest in the stability of the Indo-Pacific and are firmly against any militarisation, reflecting earlier statements by Australia against increased aggression in the South China Sea, O’Farrell said.

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He said the logistics support agreement — inked at a virtual summit — would increase the abilities of the two armed forces to operate and exercise together and would pave the way for more complex war games in the future.

“It is particularly important for the navies. The increase in trust and confidence is being demonstrated by the logistics agreement, which will enable both sides to take it to the next level. We want to take an opportunity to conduct sea refuelling in international waters,” the high commissioner said.

On Exercise Malabar, traditionally conducted between India, US and Japan, O’Farrell said Australia has been increasing bilateral ties but would welcome participation. “We would welcome participation if we are invited but the attention on Malabar sometimes overshadows the fact that Australia–India defence relations have grown exponentially in the past years. Our exercises have become more complex. We have had submarine-on-submarine scenarios and P8s patrolling all across the Bay of Bengal (for example).”

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On joint development of defence systems, O’Farrell said that Australia has embarked on a 40-year ship building programme and avenues for cooperation between the two industries can be explored to find commonalities. As reported by ET, India and Australia have stepped up bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and have announced a shared vision for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific that would result in enhanced cooperation in the maritime domain.

(Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com)

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