Lt Gen Rana to visit Australia for strategic engagement

The Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General DS Rana, will embark on an official visit to Australia from March 19 to 21.

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The visit aims to further strengthen bilateral defense intelligence cooperation and enhance strategic engagement between India and Australia.

The defence intelligence chief's visit comes in the wake of a visit by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, to Australia earlier this month and in the backdrop of intelligence chiefs from several countries attending a global conference on security issues in New Delhi.

Australia is a member of the "Five Eyes”, a group of five countries focused on intelligence collection and sharing.

Three members of this group – the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand – are attending the conference. During the visit, the DIA chief will hold discussions with senior Australian defence officials, including the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defence, the Director General of National Intelligence, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, and the Chief of Joint Operations of the Australian Defence Forces. These high-level interactions will focus on intelligence-sharing mechanisms, regional security cooperation, and avenues for further collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region, a defense spokesperson said.

As part of the visit, Lieutenant General Rana will also visit the Headquarters Joint Operations Command to gain insights into Australia's operational framework and joint command structures. He is also scheduled to interact with the Director of the Australian Geospatial Organisation. Additionally, engagements at the Lowy Institute, a leading international policy think tank, will facilitate discussions on strategic defense and security dynamics.

Honouring the strong defence ties and shared military traditions between India and Australia, he will lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and attend the Last Post Ceremony, a solemn tribute to the fallen soldiers.

This visit underscores the deepening intelligence and security cooperation between India and Australia, reinforcing both nations' commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region, the spokesperson said.