Royal Australian Navy and Indian Navy kicks off ‘AUSINDEX’ bilateral exercise

On September 6, the Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy began the fourth edition of the bilateral AUSINDEX exercise in the northern Australian waters. The exercise is scheduled to last until the 10th of September, according to a press release issued by the Indian Navy.

The exercise is being carried out by an Indian Navy Task Group consisting of the IN Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt, as well as the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Anzac Class Frigate, HMAS Warramunga.

This edition of AUSINDEX includes complex surface, sub-surface and air operations between ships, submarines, helicopters and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the participating Navies.

The participating Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt are the latest indigenously designed and built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and Anti-Submarine Corvette respectively. They form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command.

Commenced in 2015 as a bilateral IN-RAN maritime exercise, AUSINDEX has grown in complexity over the years and the 3rd edition of the exercise, held in 2019 in the Bay of Bengal, included anti-submarine drills for the first time.

In the Fourth Edition, the surface units of both the countries will be exercising with HMAS Rankin, a Collins Class Australian Submarine, Royal Australian Air Force P-8A and F-18A aircraft, along with integral helicopters of both the Navies. The exercise will provide an opportunity for both Navies to further bolster inter-operability, gain from best practices and develop a common understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations.

The AUSINDEX exercise is a true representation of Joint Guidance signed by the Chief of the Naval Staff, IN and Chief of Navy, RAN on 18 August 2021. This important document is aligned to the ‘2020 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ between the two nations and aims to further consolidate shared commitment to regional and global security challenges promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The conduct of this exercise despite COVID restrictions is also a testimony of existing synergy between the participating Navies.

Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of the participating units.