Japan and Australia Enter New Era as Defence Deal Comes Into Force

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) escort ship Kurama sails through smoke during a fleet review off Sagami Bay, Kanagawa prefecture, on Oct. 18, 2015. Thirty-six MSDF vessels and navy ships from Australia, India, France, South Korea and the United States participated in the fleet review. Toru Yamanaka/AFP via Getty Images

Australian and Japanese troops will now be able to operate in each other’s countries following the start of a new defence agreement that aims to promote bilateral defence and security ties.

The Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement, which is also known as the Japan-Australia RAA, was signed at the beginning of 2022 and is viewed as part of an increasing push from the Quad partners to enhance security ties and counter China in the Pacific. It is the first visiting forces agreement signed by Japan in more than 60 years, following its security pact with the United States.

Under the agreement, Japanese F-35s will be deployed to RAAF Air Base Tindal, just outside of Darwin, while Australian F-35s will be sent to Japan early in September.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the agreement would deepen the relationship between the two defence forces and allow for closer cooperation while “strengthening the capabilities of both the ADF and the Japanese Self-Defence Force.”

“Both Australia and Japan recognise the increasing complexity of our security environment and the need to grow our partnership to support a stable and prosperous region,” Mr. Marles said.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles (R) inspects an honor guard ceremony prior to a Japan-Australia bilateral defense meeting at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan on June 15, 2022. Shuji Kajiyama / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

The ramp-up in ties comes as the U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin’s remarked at the AUSMIN Dialogue talks in Brishabne in July that both the United States and Australia were looking for ways to integrate Japan into their respective defence strategies and force postures following increasing bullying behaviour from the Chinese Communist Party.

Mr. Austin noted in his opening speech at the dialogue that both Australia and the U.S. were concerned about China’s departure from the rules-based order, especially in maritime territories.

“We seek a region where all countries are secure and prosperous, where states follow international law and international norms, and where disputes are resolved peacefully without coercion,” Mr. Austin said.

“Both of our countries are concerned about attempts by the People’s Republic of China to depart from these principles. We’ve seen troubling PRC coercion from the East China Sea, to the South China Sea, to right here in the Southwest Pacific, and we will continue to support our allies and partners as they defend themselves from bullying behaviour.”

Australia Hosts Quad Naval War Games for First Time

The commencement of the RAA comes as Japanese, Indian, and U.S. defence forces arrive in Sydney, Australia, for the Quad Pact’s 27th Exercise Malabar.

Malabar is regarded as a key Indo-Pacific military exercise that seeks to deepen interoperability between participating regional partners. It will run across Australia’s east coast from Aug. 10 to Aug. 21.

“It is an honour to host Exercise Malabar for the first time here in Australia,” Mr. Marles said. “Amid the current strategic circumstances, it is more important than ever we partner with our neighbours and deepen our defence partnerships.

“Cooperation, shared understanding, and knowledge coupled with training contributes to shared security and prosperity for our region.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, said that the exercises provide Quad partners with vital training so they can operate as a high-functioning team.

Vice admiral Saito Akira Commander in Chief of Japan Self Defense Fleet, Rear Admiral Christopher Smith, Commander Australian Fleet, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi Commanding in Chief of India's Western Naval Command, and Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet attend to media as India, Japan, U.S., Australia will hold first Malabar naval exercise off Australia in Sydney on Aug. 10, 2023. Kirsty Needham/Reuters

“This esteemed exercise provides rich opportunities for our people to work and train together, to be prepared as high-functioning teams ready to face the complex challenges of the maritime domain,” he said.

“Exercise Malabar is an investment in Australia’s Navy-to-Navy relationships, as well as the relationship between the four Navies involved. In this way, we complement diplomatic efforts to deepen our regional ties and contribute to a region based on trust and respect.”

Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, said at a press conference in Sydney that the exercise was “not pointed toward any one country” and would improve the ability of the four forces to work with each other.

“The deterrence that our four nations provide as we operate together as a Quad is a foundation for all the other nations operating in this region,” Mr. Thomas said.

“Oceania, the island nations that are just northeast of Australia ... all of our nations now are focusing on those countries,” he added.