Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, during his Australia visit from Feb 16 to 19, engaged extensively with the senior leadership of Australian defence forces to review ongoing bilateral engagements and chart pathways for expanding army-to-army cooperation.Discussions focused on enhancing the scope and complexity of joint exercises, strengthening professional military education exchanges and promoting greater interoperability between the two forces. His visit advanced India-Australia defence cooperation and deepened strategic alignment between the two nations, an Army statement said.As part of his high-level engagements, General Dwivedi called on the chief of defence forces and the secretary of the department of defence. At Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC), the General reviewed Australia’s integrated and multi-domain operational framework with the commander joint operations, gaining insights into joint planning and execution mechanisms, the statement noted.In Sydney, Gen Dwivedi interacted with the leadership of Forces Command, Special Operations Command and the 2nd Division of the Australian Army. The exchanges enabled both sides to share perspectives on force readiness, operational concepts and training methodologies. Particular attention was given to the bilateral Army Exercise AUSTRAHIND, with both sides expressing commitment to further enriching its forthcoming edition in India in 2026.In Canberra, General Dwivedi held substantive discussions with Lt General Simon Stuart, Chief of Australian Army. Drawing upon their shared professional association as alumni of the US Army War College (class of 2015), the two chiefs reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening institutional linkages and expanding avenues of cooperation. A comprehensive round table discussion at Australian Defence Forces Headquarters examined issues related to force modernisation, emerging technologies and future operational environments. The Army chief also called on Vice-Admiral Justin Jones, Chief of Joint Operations, Australian Defence Force, at the Joint Operations Command.
