Aus, Indian commanders highlight mutual learnings as Austrahind ends

The exercise, which commenced on November 8, featured an intensive two-week training programme aimed at enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the armed forces of the two nations.

Interacting with the media after the concluding ceremony, Maj Gen Thomae said, “When we exercise together it just proves to us how similar we are. You often think that because they are from different cultures, different Armies, they are going to be very different. But the similarities at the soldier level are profound. The way that they work together and learn from each other, is a great enduring aspect of this exercise. You have to be really humble about operating with the Army, as sophisticated and large as the Indian Army. They do things at a scale we only dream of in the Australian Army. There is a lot for us to learn from India about how to conduct what we call large scale combat operations. That has been really beneficial for us. The spirit of friendship at the junior level has been outstanding. We really look forward to hosting the Indian Army in Australia in 2025 in the fourth iteration of Austrahind.”

The validation exercise, held over Tuesday and Wednesday, culminated in an outdoor exercise where Indian and Australian troops undertook joint simulated operations against rebel forces in a semi-urban environment. Key activities included the creation of a temporary operating base, the establishment of an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance grid, heliborne operations, a raid, isolation of a hostile village, and a hostage rescue operation.

During a media interaction, Maj Gen Krishan said, “It was a great learning experience as far as the Indian army is concerned. Ability to operate together, jointmanship and learning the best practices from each other, were the key features. We take back with a set of good practices that we can use when we operate together.”

Answering a question about the focus of the exercise, Thomae said, “This year we built the exercise up from a small team to a combat team of around 120 soldiers with a mixture of skills including infantry, cavalry, engineers, medics. We then integrated with the 9 Dogra Battalion to create two company groups. Soldiers were integrated into each others’ units so they got to work together at the soldier level. It culminated in a company level exercise where each group did an activity centred around peace operations. We have been impressed by the capabilities that the Indian Army is able to employ at the tactical level. An example of that is how the engineers with their dogs and Improvised Explosive Device teams operate at the tactical level.”

A press statement from the Ministry of Defence read, “Austrahind 2024 marked a significant milestone in strengthening India-Australia military relations, highlighting mutual confidence, trust and the exchange of best practices. This joint exercise underscores both nations’ commitment to global peace and stability, as well as their readiness to address multifaceted challenges in peacekeeping operations.”