India–Australia Recent Defence Relation
Expanding the strategic reach of the Indian military and improving interoperability with Australia.
An Indian Navy Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 transport aircraft visited Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI) in the Southern Indian Ocean, close to Indonesia and strategic maritime choke points.
Cocos can be an important base for refuelling and operational turnaround for the Indian military, especially once the runway there is expanded to accommodate large aircraft like the P-8 long range maritime patrol aircraft.
The visit represents an important step in the bilateral relationship as the two countries increasingly give each other access to their military facilitieas in the Indian Ocean.
India’s access to CKI and Christmas Island, which is even closer to the strategic choke points, has been under discussion for a while.
A turnaround from either of the islands would significantly enhance the on-station time of the Indian Navy’s P-8Is to monitor movements into the Indian Ocean, especially by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, whose forays into the region have significantly gone up in recent years.
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