India and Australia have reached a stage of tactical interoperability and there is an opportunity to start coordinating activities and leverage the resources of both nations to be able to achieve better levels of situational awareness, said Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, Chief of Joint Operations, Australia talking of the significant deepening of military cooperation.
Our interests intersect initially in the Indian Ocean, and where the countries conduct naval, air and maritime activities together, the visiting Australian officer said.
“We are at a point of our relationship where we de-conflict and make each other aware of the activities we are doing, but we are not at a point where we coordinate our activities in the Indian Ocean and other parts of the Indo-Pacific. My view is that there is an opportunity to perhaps to start to coordinate our activities, leverage of the resources of both our nations to be able to achieve better levels of situational awareness,” Lt. Gen. Bilton said speaking at the India Defence Conclave organised by news portal Bharat Shakti on Wednesday.
