Australia has elevated India to a top-tier security partner in its National Defence Strategy Report 2024, recognizing India’s crucial role in ensuring Indo-Pacific stability amidst rising threats from China. Through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Australia aims to deepen defense cooperation with India, emphasizing practical bilateral and multilateral initiatives. The Integrated Investment Programme allocates $330 billion USD over a decade to enhance defense capabilities. Australia also pledges to strengthen defense ties with partners in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), including India, Japan, and European nations. The report identifies increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and other flashpoints, emphasizing the importance of transparency in Chinese initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. It highlights the significance of the Northeast Indian Ocean to Australia’s security and outlines plans for defense engagement with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh. The report underscores the transformative nature of defense cooperation between India and Australia, particularly in maritime security and anti-submarine warfare, as part of the QUAD framework. Vice Admiral Mark Hammond’s recent visit to India focused on enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation and information sharing between the two navies.