Adds multiple facets from defence cooperation to military exercises

Palak Gupta On 4 June 2020, India and Australia elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) after the two countries held a virtual summit, India’s first ever. Defence and Indo-Pacific Cooperation India and Australia inked the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) paving the way for greater defence cooperation between the two countries and facilitate large-scale joint military exercises. MLSA also allows greater interoperability between the assets of the armed forces of both the countries. India has already signed such agreements with a few countries beginning with the United States and is looking forward to ink a similar deal with Japan and Russia. The Agreement will allow the two countries to use each other’s military bases for logistics support, including food, water, and petroleum. And this is in line with India's increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries share the “vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific region supported by inclusive global and regional institutions that promote prosperou