India and Australia hold joint wargames as China becomes more assertive in the Indo-Pacific

India and Australia have begun the fifth edition of their joint army exercise AUSTRAHIND at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram, as the two countries widen cooperation in maritime security, interoperability and defence industry. The exercise started on Monday, October 19th to November 1st. About 120 personnel from each army are taking part, with the Indian contingent drawn from the Garhwal Rifles along with other arms and services and the Australian side from its 13 Brigade. A New Zealand observer delegation is attending for the first time. The previous edition was held at Irwin Barracks in Perth from October 2025.The theme is joint sub-conventional operations in island and coastal environments under Chapter VII of the UN mandate. Troops will carry out joint planning, tactical drills and combat-oriented training with aerial and maritime elements, covering surveillance and reconnaissance, protection of vital installations and disaster relief contingencies.