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A highlight of the visit will be Vice Admiral Hammond’s tour of INS Vikrant, India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, which was commissioned in 2022. This symbolic gesture underscores the growing significance of naval cooperation between Australia and India and highlights the shared commitment to enhancing maritime capabilities in the region.
In a move to bolster maritime cooperation between Australia and India, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, is scheduled to embark on a significant five-day visit to India starting next Tuesday (April 2). The visit comes amid increasing efforts from both nations to enhance naval ties and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
During his stay, Vice Admiral Hammond is slated to engage in high-level discussions with his Indian counterpart, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Indian Navy. The discussions are expected to cover a wide array of topics, including maritime security, and joint exercises with the overarching goal of deepening the existing naval partnership between the two countries.
The itinerary for Vice Admiral Hammond’s visit encompasses key cities and naval installations across India. He will commence his visit from the capital city Delhi, where he will engage in dialogues aimed at fostering mutual understanding and cooperation. Following this, Vice Admiral Hammond will proceed to Kochi and Mumbai, a hub of maritime activity in India, to explore avenues for collaboration and exchange between the Australian and Indian naval industries.
The highlight of the visit will be Vice Admiral Hammond’s tour of INS Vikrant, India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, which was commissioned in 2022. This symbolic gesture underscores the growing significance of naval cooperation between Australia and India and highlights the shared commitment to enhancing maritime capabilities in the region.
Important to point out, that Australian PM Anthony Albanese also visited INS Vikrant during his India visit last year and emphasised that for Australia, India is a top-tier security partner.
The upcoming visit of Vice Admiral Hammond underscores the commitment of both nations to advancing maritime security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit comes on the heels of several recent joint exercises and deployments that have underscored the strengthening maritime partnership between Australia and India.
Notably, AUSINDEX, a naval exercise held in Sydney in August 2023, showcased the interoperability and coordination between the Royal Australian Navy and the Indian Navy.
Additionally, a Maritime Partnership Exercise involving ships from both navies, including HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Anzac, INS Jalashwa, and INS Kavaratti, was conducted in the Bay of Bengal in November 2022 as part of Australia’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022.