Australia-Japan Frame Key Defence Initiatives

Sep 05 (aspistrategist.org.au) - Japan and Australia have framed a series of new initiatives and dialogues, ranging from economic security, Pacific digital development, working with the US on strategic communications to bolster the commitment to collective deterrence against force and coercion in the Indo-Pacific.

The ministers indicated their interest in exploring new initiatives that will further integrate bilateral and trilateral defence activities, with the emphasis on making Japan's military footprint in Australia deeper and more regular via mutual staff placements, visiting detachments and joint exercises, including with US forces here.

From later this year, Canberra and Tokyo will embed military officers in each other's joint structures, a move which should streamline planning and which indicates growing trust.

Also on the agenda are reciprocal deployments of Australian, Japanese and US F-35s, perhaps including Japanese detachments operating from northern Australia. Japan may also participate in joint amphibious training with Australia and the US Marines. This highlights Australia's importance as a strategic location for Japan to disperse its mobile assets in case its own bases come under military threat.

Significantly, Japan and Australia have underlined their desire to cooperate on counterstrike capabilities, to boost their military reach and deterrence against common adversaries.

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