Navy Chief Krishna Swaminathan to visit Australia, New Zealand; naval ties set to receive boost

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:14:00 +0000

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will undertake an official visit to Australia and New Zealand beginning September 9, 2026, aimed at further strengthening India’s bilateral naval cooperation with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

According to the Indian Navy, during his visit to Australia, Admiral Swaminathan will hold discussions with Vice Admiral Matthew Buckley, Chief of Navy of the Royal Australian Navy, and engage with Australia’s defence leadership, including Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of the Defence Force, and Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Commander Joint Operations.

The visit comes amid growing momentum in India-Australia relations following the Third India-Australia Annual Summit held in July 2026 and the Second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in June.

Expanded ties with RAN

The two countries have steadily expanded defence and security cooperation, particularly in maritime security and regional engagement. The CNS’s discussions are expected to review ongoing naval cooperation and explore ways to enhance operational interaction, interoperability, information sharing, training and professional exchanges between the Indian Navy and the RAN.

Admiral Swaminathan will also visit key operational and training establishments and interact with RAN personnel. Discussions during the visit will cover maritime capabilities, emerging technologies and professional military education, reflecting the expanding scope of cooperation between the two navies.

In New Zealand, the Naval Chief will meet Rear Admiral Garin Golding, Chief of Navy of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and engage with senior New Zealand defence leadership.

The visit follows renewed momentum in India-New Zealand ties after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited New Zealand in July 2026, during which the two countries elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation in several areas, including defence and maritime security.

Operational interaction with RNZN

The engagements in New Zealand will focus on strengthening operational interaction, information sharing, training, and professional exchanges between the two navies. Admiral Swaminathan will also visit important operational and training establishments and interact with RNZN personnel and officers undergoing professional military education.

The visit assumes added significance against the backdrop of the recently concluded Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, which provides an expanded framework for practical maritime cooperation between India and New Zealand.

The CNS’s visit to the two countries underscores India’s growing maritime engagement with Australia and New Zealand and the Indian Navy’s emphasis on sustained practical cooperation with like-minded partners.

The engagements are expected to further strengthen maritime partnerships and contribute towards peace, security and stability in the strategically significant Indo-Pacific region.

Published – September 08, 2026 09:44 pm IST

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Australia tests advanced SM-6 naval air defence missile for first time

admin — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 19:02:07 +0000

The Australian government said on Saturday it had for the first time test-fired a Raytheon SM-6 missile from a Navy ship, a major step in acquiring and integrating the air-defence weapon into its inventory.

The HMAS Sydney conducted the test near the U.S. state of Hawaii as part of the Pacific Dragon 2024 exercise, Australia’s defence ministry said, calling it a “significant milestone” in a deal first approved in 2021.

The SM-6 is the most advanced naval air defence missile in the U.S. arsenal, including against ballistic missiles, and has also been tested for striking ships and ground targets, and in air-to-air scenarios.

“This is another example of the acceleration in acquisitions of critical capabilities for the Navy,” said Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for defence industry and capability delivery. “The ability to deter an adversary from extended ranges and to deter attempts to project power against Australia is a core part of the National Defence Strategy.”

Australia has been working to bolster its military capabilities in the face of rising tensions with China, including U.S.-funded improvements in bases.

Expanding the area that a ship can defend forces adversaries to operate farther away and enables the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to push deeper into contested waters if there is a conflict.

In March, Australia helped with a separate U.S. SM-6 test by providing data collection, communications and tracking, according to the U.S. Missile Defence Agency.

The Australian government has not said how many of the missiles they are planning to buy from the United States. But when the foreign military sale was approved in 2021, U.S. government documents show an estimated cost of $350 million for “defence articles and services”.

That number included both SM-6 and older SM-2 missiles, already in use by Australia’s navy.

The announcement on Saturday did not say when the SM-6 would be operational but said it would be deployed on Hobart-class destroyers, of which Australia has three. Each can carry 48 air defence missiles.

“The versatility of SM-6 makes it an attractive addition to the RAN’s limited missile armoury, giving it additional anti-ship and missile defence capability to complement the Naval Strike Missile,” an advanced anti-ship missile the RAN also recently tested, said Euan Graham, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

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Royal Australian Navy – Artifex.News

Navy Chief Krishna Swaminathan to visit Australia, New Zealand; naval ties set to receive boost

Expanded ties with RAN

Operational interaction with RNZN

Australia tests advanced SM-6 naval air defence missile for first time