Australian Military Will Take Part In First US-Japan Joint Exercise

JAKARTA - Japan and Australia have agreed that the Australian military will participate in large-scale joint command post exercises with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the United States military for the first time, said the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

During talks in Tokyo, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara with Australian counterpart Richards Marles, noting China's growing influence in the region, pledged to increase trilateral security cooperation with the United States, the ministry said.

The Australian Armed Forces will join two Japan-US command post exercises, "Yama Sakura" starting at the end of November and "Keen Edge" in February, according to the ministry as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 19.

Australia's participation is "critical in strengthening command and control functions among Japanese, Australian and US forces," Kihara told reporters after the meeting.

Kihara also welcomed the agreement on a joint laser technology development project between the Australian Armed Forces and Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

The project, involving Mitsubishi Electric's Australian subsidiary, is intended to help the Australian military improve surveillance and other capabilities.

The meeting between the defense ministers of Japan and Australia comes as the two countries, which are close US allies, have strengthened their security partnership in recent years, as Beijing's military assertiveness has increased, particularly in the East and South China Seas.

In August, the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement came into force, allowing faster transfer of defense personnel between the two countries and easing restrictions on the transport of weapons and supplies for joint exercises and disaster relief operations.

Kihara, known as a pro-Taiwan lawmaker, met with Marles, who also serves as Australia's deputy prime minister, for the first time as Japan's defense minister, since Kihara took the position in a cabinet reshuffle in September.

Japan and Australia held essentially "two-plus-two" security talks involving their foreign and defense ministers in Tokyo on Friday but postponed them due to escalating conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas, according to government sources.

Both countries are included in the Quad framework, along with the United States and India, which aims to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the economy. The group has gained traction as a counterweight to China, especially at a time of increasing Sino-US rivalry.