CNS Australia New Zealand visit begins on Wednesday, with Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff, departing on an official visit aimed at strengthening the Indian Navy's bilateral cooperation with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

The Australia leg follows a run of summit level exchanges this year. It builds on the Third India-Australia Annual Summit held in July 2026 and the Second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue held in June 2026, both credited with deepening cooperation in defence and security, including maritime security and regional cooperation.

Reviewing operational ties with the RAN

In Canberra, Adm Swaminathan is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Vice Adm Matthew Buckley, Chief of Navy, RAN. He will also engage separately with Adm Mark Hammond, Chief of the Defence Force, and Vice Adm Justin Jones, Commander Joint Operations.

The engagements are billed as a chance to review ongoing naval cooperation and explore ways of strengthening operational interaction, interoperability, information sharing, training and professional exchanges between the two navies. The Indian Navy said Adm Swaminathan will also visit key operational and training establishments and interact with RAN personnel, with the engagements covering maritime capabilities, emerging technologies and professional military education, reflecting the expanding scope of cooperation between the two navies.

CNS Australia New Zealand visit turns to Wellington

The New Zealand leg is different in one respect. It follows the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to New Zealand in July 2026, during which the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation across several areas, including defence and maritime security.

Talks with Rear Adm Garin Golding and NZ defence leadership

In Wellington, Adm Swaminathan will hold discussions with Rear Adm Garin Golding, Chief of Navy, RNZN, and engage with senior New Zealand defence leadership. The agenda mirrors the Australia leg: operational interaction, information sharing, training and professional exchanges between the two navies, this time built on the momentum of a relationship formally elevated only weeks earlier and reinforced further by the 2nd India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue held in Wellington in August.

Training establishments and a new Maritime Cooperation Arrangement

The CNS Australia New Zealand visit also takes in RNZN training establishments. Adm Swaminathan is set to interact with personnel there, along with officers undergoing professional military education.

The New Zealand leg comes against the backdrop of a recently concluded Maritime Cooperation Arrangement between the two countries, which the Indian Navy describes as an expanded framework for practical maritime cooperation, a document that formalises much of what the two navies had already been doing on an ad hoc basis.

A first stop in Canberra and Wellington since taking charge

Adm Swaminathan took over as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff at the end of May 2026. His travel calendar since then has included an earlier visit to Mauritius, where he held talks in Port Louis on maritime security and capacity building with the National Coast Guard. The Australia and New Zealand visit is his first to either country as Navy Chief.