AUSTRALIAN Prime minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday embarked on India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the Navy said. Albanese was received onboard Vikrant by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar with a Guard of Honour, it said in a release.

Albanese announced that his country will host Exercise Malabar, a naval drill involving Australia, India, the US and Japan. Speaking onboard indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant here, he also said that India will for the first time participate in Australia’s multinational Talisman Sabre exercise. Last year, India and Australia conducted more exercises, operations and dialogues than ever before, the visiting PM noted. In a major step forward in the bilateral relationship, India and Australia undertook Maritime Patrol Aircraft deployments to each other’s territories for the first time, he said.