DRDO News: DRDO and Australia Defense Scientists partner to strengthen Defence via MLSA

In a recent development, India and Australia will partner together, use each other's military base and share military logistics. DRDO even tweeted the development.

With the new cooperation framework, Scientists of @DRDO_India and Defence scientists of Australia will work in Futuristic and Emerging Technologies of common interest strengthening the Defence of both Nations.

— DRDO (@DRDO_India) June 4, 2020

The first India-Australia virtual leaders’ summit on June 4 said that both the countries will build on growing defence ties between the two sides. They will also move to a shared approach to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific boundary. The development has come in the form of MLSA.

What is MLSA?

The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) will allow militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies. Besides, it will facilitate scaling up of overall defence cooperation. India has already signed similar agreements with the US, France and Singapore.

Australia has huge deposits of minerals, including rare earth metals, and the two sides have been working on cooperation in critical and strategic minerals, the people said. The virtual summit has provided an opportunity to the two sides to review the broad framework of the relationship and to discuss their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The countries have also reflected the importance attached to the Indo-Pacific. They have also unveiled a declaration titled 'Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific', outlining their commitment to promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region.

How will this Military relationship work?

The joint statement has revealed the following points:

1. Both sides agreed to continue to deepen and broaden defence cooperation. This will happen by enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises and engagement activities to develop new ways to address shared security challenges. Also, both sides agreed to increase military inter-operability through defence exercises through their Arrangement concerning Mutual Logistics Support (MLSA).0

2. They have signed an MOU to implementing arrangement concerning cooperation in Defense Science and Technology on Defense Cooperation. This will provide a framework for growing collaboration between the defence research organisations of both countries.

3. The two countries have reached an understanding on enhancing cooperation between their navies and strengthen maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region.

4. India and Australia are also committed to supporting a rules-based maritime order that is based on respect for sovereignty and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

5. The countries will continue to work with the East Asia Summit (EAS) and other ASEAN-led institutions; the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM Plus), Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

India and Australia trade relationship

At the plurilateral level, Australia has backed several of India's global initiatives. These include the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Australia also backs India’s membership of an expanded UN Security Council. It also supported the country’s membership of the Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement.

Further, the bilateral trade between both countries has been worth $20.92 billion during the 2018-19. This includes India's exports of goods and services worth $5.17 billion. Australia’s cumulative investment in India is about $10.74 billion while Indian investments in Australia is $10.45 billion. The Australian Pension Fund has invested $1 billion in India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.

Australia is home to a 700,000-strong Indian diaspora and there are about 106,000 Indian students in Australia. Under Vande Bharat Mission, 1,560 Indian nationals were repatriated from Australia in seven flights in May. The flights also evacuated 1,096 Australians.