Australia and India: Working together and with others on maritime security

Abstract

As a prominent Indian Ocean academic, Sam Bateman would often get frustrated by the fluctuating nature of the Australia-India relationship, as he could see the potential opportunities for cooperation that existed between the two countries, especially when it came to maritime security. In a journal article from 2010, he wrote Australia seems to “rediscover the Indian Ocean at roughly fifteen-year intervals”. These words have proved to be prescient. After low points in the relationship cycle between 1998 and 2007 it could be argued that Australia has put a significant effort into improving relations, and both countries are now the closest they have ever been, nearly fifteen years later. Given the current warm state of the relations, it seems that this historic cycle may have been broken. Despite some important challenges the two countries are now on a trajectory to build a deep and long-lasting relationship in maritime security. This chapter examines recent developments in the Australia-India maritime security affiliation, particularly following the 2020 announcement of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the associated Joint Declaration on a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo Pacific (Joint Declaration). It considers potential synergies between the two countries in maritime security, focussing on the potential for cooperation in the areas of Maritime Domain Awareness (mda); Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (hadr); environmental security and regional groupings. It concludes that the relationship is at a historical high-water level which looks to continue for some time. This presents a real opportunity to identify and implement many possible initiatives. Show more