India, Australia sign agreement on refuelling of military aircraft

India and Australia have signed an arrangement to enable the Indian armed forces and the Royal Australian Air Force to conduct air-to-air refuelling of their aircraft. Under the arrangement, RAAF’s air-to-air refuelling aircraft, the KC-30A multi-role tanker transport, will be able to refuel aircraft of the Indian armed forces, a statement from the Australian defence ministry said. The signing of the arrangement is also the first step towards the KC-30A refuelling the Indian Navy’s P-8I Neptune surveillance aircraft, increasing India’s reach in the Indo-Pacific, the statement said. “The ability to conduct air-to-air refuelling with the Indian armed forces elevates our interoperability and enables us to cooperate more effectively in a range of different scenarios.” Reynolds described the arrangement as a “significant step forward in our relationship with India, and will provide valuable opportunities for our personnel to work closely together, share knowledge and expertise, and build trust and understanding”.