During a trip to Japan to observe joint military exercises, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reiterated his confidence in the strategic alliance between Tokyo, Washington and Australia in the face of growing tensions in that Asia-Pacific region.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed confidence Tuesday in the enhanced military capabilities between the United States, Australia and Japan as he watched joint exercises Wednesday that showed closer cooperation amid rising tensions in the region.
Austin traveled to Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security.
The Defense Secretary said while observing the Yama Sakura 87 trilateral maneuvers held at the Japanese Army's Camp Asaka outside Tokyo that the necessary equipment, ammunition and people are in place and “these are the things that will ensure the success if we are ever challenged on the battlefield.”
Japan, pursuing a security strategy introduced in 2022, is rapidly amassing military resources to boost its deterrence capability in the face of growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia, and has strengthened defense cooperation, especially with the United States and Australia.
During talks Tuesday with Japanese officials, Austin praised the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance at a time of rapid global political change, including crises in South Korea and Syria.
Austin stressed that US cooperation with Tokyo and Seoul is crucial to regional stability.
The scenario-based command exercises began last Friday and were combined for the first time with the U.S. Army's Warfighter battlefield command exercise, making them the largest since they began in 1982, according to the Command US Indo-Pacific.
More than 7,000 troops from the three countries were participating in multiple locations, including Camp Kengun in southwestern Japan, to simulate remote island operations, as well as cross-domain operations including space and cyber defense, according to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Japan. The exercises end on Saturday.