Indo-Pacific Defence Cooperation — Highlights from India

Recent diplomatic and defence engagements underline India’s expanding role in Indo-Pacific security cooperation, marked by bilateral dialogues, joint military exercises, and maritime partnerships. These interactions reflect India’s strategy of building diversified defence partnerships while navigating a complex regional security environment.

Bilateral and Multilateral Engagements:
India’s Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) held discussions with a Belgian delegation to explore enhanced defence cooperation, focusing on capacity building, training, and defence-industrial collaboration. Belgium, as a NATO member with expertise in niche defence technologies and logistics, represents an opportunity for India to diversify its defence partnerships beyond traditional allies.

At the regional level, the India–Indonesia Special Forces exercise GARUDA SHAKTI-2025 continued to strengthen operational interoperability. The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations and combat in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain, reflecting shared security concerns in the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia. Such exercises enhance tactical coordination, joint planning, and mutual understanding between armed forces.

Maritime Security Cooperation:
A delegation from the Japan Coast Guard visited India Coast Guard Headquarters to deepen cooperation in maritime safety, search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and capacity building. This engagement aligns with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision and reinforces collaboration in ensuring freedom of navigation and adherence to international maritime law.

Strategic Context and Regional Tensions:
Amid these cooperative efforts, remarks by Pakistan’s newly appointed Chief of Defence Forces warning India against perceived strategic “delusions” highlight the persistence of bilateral military tensions in South Asia. Such rhetoric underscores the contrast between India’s emphasis on multilateral engagement and rules-based order, and ongoing regional security frictions.

Why It Matters:
These engagements signal India’s broadening security partnerships across Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Joint exercises and dialogues enhance practical interoperability, deterrence capability, and crisis-response preparedness—key elements of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Conclusion:
India’s recent defence interactions demonstrate a calibrated approach to regional security—combining diplomacy, military cooperation, and capacity building to promote stability in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific landscape.