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Australia, Japan, and the United States have agreed to enhance defense cooperation and collective deterrence following a trilateral meeting of defense ministers in northern Australia. As part of the strengthened partnership, Japan will now regularly deploy its Ground Self-Defense Force’s marine unit to Australia, further bolstering trilateral military collaboration.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles hosted Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, and United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for the fourteenth Trilateral Defense Ministers’ Meeting held in Darwin, Australia on November 17, 2024.

“We are united in our steadfast commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, where the rule of law is upheld, sovereignty is respected, and nations can make decisions free from coercion or threats of force,” they declared in a joint statement. The three leaders also discussed their countries’ recent advances in combined air and missile defense and information-sharing initiatives.

This was US Defense Secretary Austin’s final visit to the region before the Trump administration would assume power in January 2025. Austin said the U.S. Defense Department was focused “on a smooth and effective transition” to the incoming administration. He added that he was proud of the “historic progress made over the last four years” during Biden’s administration and the “depth of continuing U.S. commitment to the region.”

Strengthening Regional Security

The defense ministers of Australia, Japan, and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the importance of upholding international law, sovereignty, and freedom from coercion.

China was not explicitly mentioned during the press conference. But the joint statement voiced “serious concern about destabilizing actions in the East and South China Seas, including dangerous conduct by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against the Philippines and other coastal state vessels.”

Beijing contests territorial claims in the South China Sea with several neighboring countries, including Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei. These disputes have led to minor skirmishes between Chinese vessels and those from other claimant nations.

“We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. It is important that all states are free to exercise rights and freedoms consistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea,” the statement said.

Support for ASEAN and Pacific Partnerships

The trio underscored their support for ASEAN’s centrality and unity, as well as Pacific-led security responses, aligning with the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity, the joint statement added “We reinforce our commitment to work with partners, including Canada, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom to increase engagement with Southeast Asian partners and support the region’s security priorities.”

Support for the Philippines

The ministers highlighted growing defense cooperation with the Philippines, India, and Pacific island nations, focusing on regional maritime security and enhanced domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific, with upcoming joint exercises and initiatives like Exercise PUK PUK in 2025.

The trilateral partners underscored their strong support for the Philippines amidst rising tensions in the South China Sea, reaffirming the importance of enhanced defense cooperation between Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. Through regular Maritime Cooperative Activities, the nations aim to bolster regional maritime security and uphold international law.

The joint statement voiced serious concern over China’s aggressive actions, particularly toward Philippine vessels and other coastal state ships, and emphasized that all nations, including the Philippines, have the right to exercise freedoms under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Japan to regularly deploy troops for drills in Australia

Japanese troops will begin regular deployments in northern Australia as part of military cooperation with Australia and the United States.

“Today, we are announcing that there will be regular deployments of Japan’s amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to Australia,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said at a joint televised press conference in Darwin, alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani.

Australia, Japan and the US share strong people to people links. Ahead of today’s trilateral meeting in Darwin we had a chance to meet with ADF personnel and US Marines who have been training together as part of the MRF-D @SecDef @ModJapan_en pic.twitter.com/Th8d0KN4SP

— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) November 17, 2024

“We continue to enhance our cooperation in intelligence and surveillance across the Indo-Pacific,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.

Joint Exercises

The ministers agreed to expand trilateral operational cooperation, including increased amphibious training and joint exercises like Talisman Sabre and Southern Jackaroo, starting in 2025. Japan will also deepen its participation in U.S.-Australia military activities.

Enhanced Maritime Security Cooperation: The trilateral partners reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on joint patrols and surveillance.

The U.S., Japanese, and Australian ministers welcomed successful collaborations, such as the maritime patrol aircraft activity with India during Exercise KAKADU 2024, and committed to further strengthening maritime domain awareness through enhanced cooperation with India and Pacific island nations, including joint exercises like Exercise PUK PUK in 2025 and continued support for Operation Rener Safe.

“The trilateral partnership between Australia, Japan, and the United States is built upon our shared values, deep trust, and unbreakable commitment to the stability and security of the Indo-Pacific region. Our enduring partnership is crucial to collective deterrence in our region,” Richard Marles said.

US Defense Secretary aims to strengthen regional ties on Indo-Pacific tour

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has begun a tour of the Indo-Pacific, with Australia as his first stop, signaling the U.S. commitment to the region. Following his visit to Darwin, Austin will head to the Philippines, where he will meet President Ferdinand Marcos and senior officials to reaffirm the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Austin aims to highlight U.S. support for Philippine security, including the $500 million in foreign military financing, and observe a Philippine Navy tech demonstration of T-12 unmanned surface vessels provided by the U.S.

Austin’s next destination is Laos, where he will attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus and meet with regional allies to bolster security ties. His final stop is in Fiji, marking the first visit by a U.S. defense secretary to the island nation. There, he will meet with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa to further solidify U.S. partnerships in the Pacific.