New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi discusses on the agreements of the mutual logistics support arrangement with Australia on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoken with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his first ever virtual summit in New Delhi on Thursday.

India’s strategic and Naval operational reach in the entire Indian Ocean Region (I.O.R) and beyond, with an eye firmly on China’s expansionist behaviour in the Indo- Pacific region. India is fast inking reciprocal military logistics pacts with like minded countries to extend its strategic and naval operational reach in the entire Indian Ocean region and beyond, after similar agreements with the US, France, South Korea and Singapore.

The MLSA will enable our warships to get refueling from Australian tankers on the high seas, while also availing of berthing, maintenance and storage facilities at Australian Navel Bases, said a source.

It will, of course, beyond reciprocal basis, the sources said. The sources also said India is set to ink military logistics pact with Japan next, while similar agreements with Russia and the UK are also being negotiated. India entered an agreement with the US in 2016 similarly gives India re-fueling facilities and access to American bases in Djibouti, Diego Garcia, Guan and Subic Bay.

Another agreement with France in 2018, in term, also extends the Indian Navy’s reach in South Western I.O.R due to French bases in the re-union islands near Madagascar and Djibouti and the Horn of Africa. The MLSA with Australia will help us to extend the reach of our warships in Southern I.O.R as well as the Western Pacific Region.

The Region South of Indonesian striates is also important for us, said the source. The pacts are crucial for India in the backdrop China fast expanding its strategic foot print in the I.O.R after its first overseas military base at Djibouti become operational in August 2017.