Did Rajnath Singh Visit the Strategic HMAS Kuttabul Naval Facility in Australia?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Strengthening India-Australia naval collaboration
- Significance of HMAS Kuttabul naval facility
- Enhancement of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific
- Productive bilateral talks on defence
- Commitment to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
New Delhi, Oct 10 (NationPress) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, currently on an official visit to Australia, toured the historic and strategically significant naval facility HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney on Friday.
In a post shared on the social media platform X, Singh expressed that he was introduced to the outstanding facilities located at Sydney Harbour aboard the Admiral Hudson.
“Today, I explored the historic and strategic naval facility HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney. I was familiarized with the remarkable facilities at Sydney Harbour aboard the Admiral Hudson. The enhancement of India-Australia naval collaboration and coordinated maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region will be beneficial for both nations,” the Defence Minister tweeted.
Singh arrived in Sydney on Wednesday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
On Thursday, he engaged in bilateral discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles to investigate fresh avenues for fortifying cooperation between the two countries.
Following their meetings, Prime Minister Albanese stated on social media: "The defence partnership between Australia and India continues to strengthen — rooted in trust, shared interests, and a commitment to a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. It was great to meet with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his inaugural visit to Australia for the first Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue."
Singh characterized his talks with Deputy Prime Minister Marles as “productive,” emphasizing that both nations reviewed the comprehensive spectrum of India-Australia defence cooperation — covering defence industry, cyber defence, maritime security, and regional challenges.
He noted that the discussions reaffirmed the significance of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
As leading security partners, India and Australia have deliberated on the next steps to deepen their defence relationship, including enhancing strategic dialogue and increasing the complexity of joint military exercises. These discussions were part of the Australia-India Defence Ministers' Dialogue held at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.
Rajnath Singh received a warm welcome from Deputy Prime Minister Marles for the inaugural session of the Dialogue, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral defence partnership. In his opening statement, Singh remarked that both sides had achieved considerable progress in defence cooperation across diverse domains, aligned with the overall enhancement of bilateral ties.