Australian defence personnel will now be able to operate in Japan as a security deal with the Asian nation comes into force.
A reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between Australia and Japan formally started yesterday, enabling their troops to enter each other’s country for training and other military purposes and work closer together.
The Australian government said the deal will pave the way for more advanced training exercises between the two armed forces.
This includes the stationing of Japanese F-35 warplanes at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory later this month, while Royal Australian Air Force F-35s will deploy to Japan for the first time early next month for a major military drill.
The RAA was signed under the former Coalition government in January 2022 as both Australia and Japan sought to push back against growing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo Pacific region.
China’s military budget has more than quadrupled since 2007 when Australia and Japan signed their first defence declaration.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the agreement was important in meeting regional security challenges.
Countries with the highest military expenditure in the world
“As champions for peace and prosperity in our region and the world, we must remain engaged,” he said.
Albanese was speaking during an event yesterday in Sydney for Exercise Malabar – a joint military drill between Australian, US Indian and Japanese defence forces.
He stressed peace was “never a given” and must be “built, defended and upheld”.
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