US, Japan to deploy troops to Australia to deter China

The United States, together with Japan, will deploy Marine units in Australia on a rotational basis

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The agreement was announced after a trilateral meeting of the defence ministers of the United States, Japan and Australia

Starting next year, Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade will participate in joint rotations with the US Marines in Darwin, where US forces have been based on a rotational basis since 2012. Currently, there are about 2,000 US troops stationed there, conducting exercises with the Australian Armed Forces.

Such steps are aimed at increasing the operational cohesion between the three countries, especially in the context of China's aggressive actions in the Indian Pacific region. Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani stressed the importance of Australia as a key partner, after the United States.

In addition, the ministers agreed to strengthen information exchange on missile defence in the wake of North Korea's ballistic missile launches to launch Trilateral Defence Consultations to coordinate policies and operational objectives to develop joint intelligence, surveillance and intelligence sharing

As part of this cooperation, Australian personnel will be involved in the joint Japan-US BIAC.

It is worth noting that the strengthening of defence partnerships is not limited to these three countries. In September 2024, the United States, Japan, Australia and India announced the establishment of joint coast guard and maritime police patrols to counter China's growing influence in the region.

Source: U.S. DoF