NEW DELHI: In a major step towards interoperability between the Air Forces, Australia and India have signed an arrangement which will enable the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Indian Armed Forces to conduct air-to-air refuelling.
The Australian Defence Ministry on Thursday said "Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy, and India's Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh announced the arrangement during bilateral discussions on 21 November."
"Under the arrangement, RAAF's air-to-air refuelling aircraft, the KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, will be able to refuel Indian Armed Forces aircraft.", it added.
Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Harvey Reynolds signed the arrangement on November 19 in New Delhi at Australia-India Air Staff Talks. Air Vice-Marshal Reynolds welcomed the arrangement, saying it strengthens the defence relationship between Australia and India.
"India is a top-tier security partner for Australia, and through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership we are continuing to prioritise practical and tangible cooperation that directly contributes to Indo-Pacific stability," Air Vice-Marshal Reynolds said, adding, "The ability to conduct air-to-air refuelling with the Indian Armed Forces elevates our interoperability and enables us to cooperate more effectively in a range of different scenarios. This arrangement is a significant step forward in our relationship with India, and will provide valuable opportunities for our personnel to work closely together, share knowledge and expertise, and build trust and understanding."
RAAF also conducts training and engagement activities with Indian Navy P-8I Neptune surveillance aircraft. The signing of this arrangement is the first step towards KC-30A refueling the P-8I, increasing India's reach and persistence in the Indo-Pacific region.
India has comprehensive logistics agreements with other countries which, unlike the India-Australia air-to-air refuelling agreement, also includes assistance for the naval ships. The logistics agreements add endurance to the warships and aircraft of the two countries as they open the airbases and ports of the countries for the assistance of fuel, rest and ration and also basic maintenance.
India has similar logistics agreements with Singapore, France, South Korea and Australia and one with Russia is pending. The last such logistics-sharing agreement was signed between the UK and India. India and Australia have already concluded the Mutual Logistic Support Arrangement (MLSA) in 2020. The agreement facilitates sophisticated logistic cooperation, enabling increasingly complex military engagement, and greater combined responsiveness to regional humanitarian disasters.
Australia and India share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership aimed at fostering an open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In Australia's Defence Strategic Review of April 2023, the most significant since World War II, India was recognised as a "key power" and a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific. The strategic partnership was further underscored by the recent 2+2 ministerial dialogue in November 2023, bringing together senior defence and foreign affairs officials from both countries to discuss common security and diplomatic priorities. The inaugural 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in September 2021, marking a new era in the India-Australia partnership.