Japan, the US and Australia sign a defense technology cooperation pact

The defense ministers of Japan, the United States and Australia signed a cooperation agreement on Thursday on new technologies, including autonomous systems, as they strengthen security ties amid China’s military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a joint statement released after their meeting in Hawaii, the three also said their forces aim to conduct an “inaugural regional air and missile defense exercise with live fire in 2027” during a regular multinational military exercise.

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (L) and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are pictured together in Hawaii on May 2, 2024. (Kyodo)

The three-way talks between Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australian Defense Secretary Richard Marles came ahead of their quadrilateral meeting involving Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

In the statement, Kihara, Austin and Marles said they will “further discuss opportunities for collaboration” in advanced technology, including areas of “collaborative combat aircraft” and “composite aerospace materials.”

They said cooperation on new technologies will be pursued under their new trilateral research, development, test and evaluation projects arrangement.

The three also agreed to train trilateral F-35 fighter jets in each of their countries over the next two years through 2026.

On Russia’s war in Ukraine, defense chiefs strongly condemned “increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” including Pyongyang’s export and Moscow’s purchase of North Korean ballistic missiles, in violation of US resolutions UN Security Council.

The three also condemned Russia’s use of the missiles against Ukraine.

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