India and Australia launch AUSTRAHIND 2026 military exercise

The fifth edition of the India-Australia Joint Military Exercise, AUSTRAHIND 2026, commenced on October 19 at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The exercise is scheduled to run until November 1.

Approximately 120 personnel from both the Indian Army and the Australian Army are participating. The Indian contingent includes troops from the Garhwal Rifles, while the Australian contingent features members of the 13 Brigade. The training focuses on “Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.”

Key objectives include enhancing interoperability, surveillance, reconnaissance, and coordinated operations in coastal and island terrains. The drills will also cover the protection of vital installations and responses to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief contingencies. For the first time, an observer delegation from New Zealand is participating in the exercise.