Australian Army Chief meets Southern Army Commander, addresses cadets at NDA

Defence authorities said the Australian Army Chief will participate in other defence cooperation engagements on August 14.

By: Express News Service
Pune | August 13, 2025 22:09 IST

The discussions between Southern Army Commander and Australian Army Chief focused on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, a press statement said. (Express photo)

As part of his ongoing visit to India from August 11 to 14, Australian Army Chief Lieutenant General Simon Stuart visited the Southern Command headquarters in Pune on Wednesday and interacted with Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth. The Australian Army Chief also visited the National Defence Academy (NDA) and addressed the cadets.

A press statement by the Defence PRO, Pune stated that the discussions between Southern Army Commander and Australian Army Chief focused on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, joint training exercises, military exchange programs and converging perspectives on future warfare. “The interaction reaffirmed the shared commitment of the Indian Army and Australian Army to foster stronger military ties and enhance strategic engagement,” the release added.

“Lieutenant General Simon Stuart also visited the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, where he addressed cadets on the topic “Collective Security: An Era of Great Power Competition”. He underscored the importance of interoperability, mutual trust, and coordinated response capabilities in countering evolving security challenges, in an increasingly volatile geo-political environment,” the press statement read.

Defence authorities said the Australian Army Chief will participate in other defence cooperation engagements on August 14, prior to returning to New Delhi. A visit to Bharat Forge Limited is planned where the indigenous manufacturing capabilities of the private Indian defence industry will be showcased to the Australian Army Chief.

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