Reflecting the close relationship with India, 13th Brigade hosted the Australia-India army-to-army staff talks in the lead-up to Exercise Austrahind, to be held in Western Australia in late November.

CAPTION: 13th Brigade hosted the Australia-India Army staff talks in Perth, ahead of Exercise Austrahind 23 in Western Australia next month. Story by Major Sandra Seman-Bourke. Photos by Corporal Nikia Chapman.

As the Indian Ocean-facing representatives of the Australian Army, 13th Brigade is a key player in army-to-army relationships with India.

The Indian Army delegation, headed by Brigadier Kumar Mahesh, spent three days in Perth receiving briefings on the Defence Strategic Review, the Australian Army’s move towards a littoral-focused combined arms fighting system, the accelerated delivery of long range fires capabilities and joint integration.

The objectives agreed to by both armies continues the development of interoperability with a focus on joint and integrated expeditionary operations within the Indian Ocean region.

India and Australia have also committed to increase the level of interaction relating to technology, information sharing and attendance at various courses.

13th Brigade Commander Brigadier Brett Chaloner said the brigade was honoured to lead on Army’s relationship with the Indian Army.

“Australia and India have a shared operational history ranging back to Gallipoli,” Brigadier Chaloner said.

“The 13th Brigade in particular has some unique points of crossover during battles on the Western Front. Through enhancing our relationship with India, Army demonstrates its commitment to broadening and deepening cooperation with like-minded Indo-Pacific armies.”

He said rapidly evolving the scope and complexity of military exercises with the Indian Army allowed the development of ways to address shared security challenges.

While Army-led, the focus was on combined, joint and integrated collaboration.

More than 60 soldiers and officers from 13th Brigade spent two weeks in the Rajasthan Desert last year conducting an army-to-army collective training activity.

Brigadier Chaloner said the relationship between the Indian and Australian armies continued to strengthen against a backdrop of uncertainty that challenged security and stability in the region.

“Australia and India have committed to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which has seen the two nations increase engagement in the Indian Ocean region since 2020. Both countries share the vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific,” he said.

“Optimising integration and interoperability between the Australian and Indian Armies, and our respective defence forces, will further develop our land domain strategic partnership.”