Two Indian Military Aircraft Visit Australia’s Strategic Cocos Islands

Relevance: GS 2- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

(Source: The Hindu, 07/31/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, an Indian Navy Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and an IAF C-130 transport aircraft visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean.
• The visit was part of India’s efforts to improve military interoperability with Australia and enhance the country’s strategic influence in the region.

What is the importance of the Cocos Islands in the India-Australia partnership?

Strategic

• It can be a refueling and operational turnaround base for the Indian defense forces.
• The Australian Defense Forces plan to expand the Cocos Islands runway to accommodate larger crafts like the P-81 used by the Indian Navy for threat detection and neutralization by 2026.
• It is a suitable site for India and Australia to conduct air surveillance of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.

Location

• The Cocos Islands are located in close proximity to Indonesia and other strategic maritime chokepoints.
• Turnaround from either Cocos Islands or neighboring Christmas Island would enhance the on-station time of the Indian P-81’s monitoring maritime activity in the region.
• This could help monitor and counter increased Chinese aggression in the region.

Space

• India has established a temporary ground station at Cocos Islands for the Gaganyaan mission.
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Australian Space Agency (ASA) had discussed bilateral cooperation in space sector activities such as earth observation, satellite navigation, space situational awareness, and satellite data-based weather and climate studies.

India-Australia Defense Relationship

• The India-Australia Defense partnership has been growing significantly through exchanges, bilateral visits, and bilateral and multilateral exercises.
• Anti-submarine exercises: The fourth iteration of P-8 cross-deployment (navy personnel flying P-8 aircraft from the other country) for anti-submarine warfare was held in July 2023 with an Australian P-8A deployed to the I.N.S. Rajali Naval Air Station, Tamil Nadu.
• In February, an Indian Navy Kilo-class conventional submarine, I.N.S. Sindhukesari (on operational deployment) traveled through the Sunda Strait and docked in Jakarta, Indonesia for operational turnaround.
• Ex. Malabar: It is a multilateral naval exercise among the QUAD nations - India, U.S.A., Japan, and Australia.
  • Chinese expansionism in the region has led to a focus on maritime domain awareness, subsurface domain awareness, and anti-submarine warfare among QUAD nations.
  • The 2023 edition will be hosted by Australia in Sydney.
• Talisman Sabre: It is a biennial joint forces exercise that is hosted either by Australia or the U.S.A.
  • India will participate in the 2023 edition, for the first time.
  • Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the U.K. are the other participating countries.

Agreements

• In 2020, the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement which permits access to military bases for logistics support was signed in 2020 as part of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
• Joint Guidance for the India – Australia Navy to Navy Relationship: Signed in 2021, it aims to ensure a shared approach to regional and global security challenges through mutual understanding, regional security cooperation, and mutually beneficial activities.

Import aspects of India-Australia ties

• Historical: Diplomatic relations between India and Australia began with the opening of the Consulate General of India as a Trade Office in Sydney in 1941.
• Similarities: Pluralistic, Westminster-style democracies with strong, vibrant, secular, and multicultural democracies, a free press, and an independent judicial system.
• Multilateral partnerships: India and Australia are both members of the UN, Commonwealth, QUAD, IORA, ASEAN Regional Forum, and the Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate and Clean Development.
• They are also part of the Five Interested Parties at the WTO.
• Supply Chain Resilience Initiative: It is a trilateral partnership between India, Australia, and Japan for resilient supply chains in the Indo-Pacific Region.
• India and Australia are also part of the International Solar Alliance and the Critical Minerals Alliance.
• Economic:
  • Australia became the first developed country to sign a free trade agreement with India with a developed country in a decade following the Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement (ECTA) 2022.
  • Bilateral trade: India is Australia’s 9th largest trading partner and Australia is India‘s 17th largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth $ 27.5 billion in 2021.

What are the challenges faced in the relationship?

• Coal mine controversy: The proposed Adani coal mine in Australia has been opposed by environmentalists and activists in Australia.
• Visa issues: Indian students and professionals seeking work in Australia have expressed concerns over restrictions in terms of visas issued.
• Ukraine crisis: Australia has criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine and sided with the U.S. and Western countries while India has not joined either side and meanwhile condemned the violence.
• No Free Trade Agreement: Despite decade-long negotiations, no consensus regarding the Free trade agreement has been achieved.
• Violence against Diaspora: Xenophobia against Indianas and Khalistan-organized attacks on Indians based in Australia is another challenge to the healthy people-people ties between the two countries.

Cocos Islands Cocos Islands are a group of 27 islands that form a pair of coral atolls in the Southern Indian Ocean. Climate: Warm and humid, with temperatures between 25 and 29°C and average annual rainfall of 78 inches with occasional earthquakes and cyclones. Vegetation: Mainly coconut palms as plantations and ground grass. Wildlife: Although there are no indigenous mammals, it is a seabird breeding ground. Governance: It is an external territory of Australia and is governed by the administrator appointed by the Australian Advocate General.

FAQs

MCQs

Question: Consider the following statements about the QUAD.

1. All member nations are Westminster-style democracies.
2. Its central theme is a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
3. All 4 nations participate in the Malabar exercise biannually.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) All 3

(d) None