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Australia, the United States, and Japan have announced an inaugural missile defence live fire exercise in 2027 and cooperation across the areas of combat aircraft, autonomous systems, and composite aerospace materials.
The developments were announced following a meeting between Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III at the Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Hawaii on 2 May 2024.
Under the new arrangements, the US Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, and Japan Self-Defense Forces will conduct an inaugural regional air and missile defence live fire exercise in 2027 at Exercise Talisman Sabre.
In addition, the ministers signed a trilateral Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Projects Arrangement, allowing defence organisations to pursue areas of interest for operationally relevant advanced collaboration. The ministers will further discuss cooperative opportunities in the areas of collaborative combat aircraft and autonomous systems and composite aerospace materials.
During the 2 May meeting, the ministers discussed their shared values and determination to deepen cooperation to promote the security, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The ministers reportedly reiterated their strong opposition to any attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the South and East China Seas. Opposition was expressed at PRC actions to militarise disputed features and interfere with routine maritime operations.
The ministers emphasised the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as well as committed to deepening cooperation with Pacific island countries through the implementation of the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
The ministers welcomed the US Coast Guard’s deployment of the Harriet Lane Cutter in its inaugural Operation Blue Pacific patrol in Oceania in early 2024. They also strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, serious violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions and increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
They also discussed the August 2023 entry into force of the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement, Australian Defence Force presence alongside the United States Forces in Japan and Japanese Self-Defense Forces alongside the United States Forces in Australia.
The ministers also welcomed upcoming activities planned for trilateral F-35 joint training in 2025 and 2026.
Trilateral F-35 joint strike fighter trainings in all three countries in the next two years will include Exercise Cope North 2025 in the United States, Exercise Bushido Guardian 2025 in Japan and Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia.
The ministers discussed increasing the frequency and complexity of high-end trilateral exercises in northern Australia such as Exercise Southern Jackaroo, increase opportunities and enhance the complexity of ISR cooperation, regularise asset protection missions for the US Forces and the Australian Defence Force by Japan Self-Defense Forces and transits by Australia, Japan, the United States, and other partners.
Other initiatives include accelerating and deepening trilateral information-sharing cooperation, trilateral policy, and strategy dialogues on regional issues.
Robert Dougherty
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