US, Japan, Australia expand exercises, set target for live-fire exercises

DARWIN, Australia The United States, Australia and Japan agreed Sunday to expand a series of exercises and training, the next step in preparing their militaries to work together in a crisis.

To announce the changes, the three countries' top defense officials gathered at a base in Darwin, located on Australia's northern coast and, in a sign of their evolving relationship, which was once heavily bombed by Japan during World War II.

A group of US Marines have been circulating the site for almost 15 years and has since become a symbol of military ties between Washington and Canberras.

These two countries are now expanding their clique to include Japan.

Starting next year, Tokyo will send a brigade to train with the Australian and American military. The first of these exercises will be Talisman Saber, held further west in Queensland in 2025, although Japan has said it will also play a larger role in other exercises in preparation for a live-fire version of the financial year in 2027.

Australia, for its part, has committed to doing the same during exercises organized in Japan.

Because you're holding bilateral exercises, what you're really doing is accelerating cooperation between Australian and Japanese forces, said Brad Glosserman, a Japanese military expert who advises the Pacific Forum, a think tank. .

The result is that the exercises will no longer function as a straight line connecting two armies. They will now look more like a triangle, helping each country learn each other's habits, language and equipment.

This collaboration could help in the event of a crisis, whether a natural disaster or a conflict with America's main rival, China. In particular, a U.S. defense official said, Japan and Australia will learn from U.S. Marines about how to fight on the littorals. These shallow-water environments resemble Taiwan and the South China Sea, where China has become more aggressive in recent years.

And in the case of Japan and Australia, the exercises will involve two of the region's most powerful and growing militaries. Over the past two years, every country has pledged to increase its defense spending and purchase more advanced weapons. The change has been particularly marked in Japan, whose pacifist constitution still restricts the use of its armed forces.

Creating new partnerships with U.S. allies in the region has been a hallmark of Biden's Pentagon approach to the Indo-Pacific. For nearly 70 years, the United States interacted with other countries like the hub and spokes of a bicycle wheel: each had a relationship with America, but not with each other.

This model is evolving as the United States and a more threatening China encourage these countries to work together. After the re-election of Donald Trump in November, it is also a sign that American allies are clinging to each other in a context of uncertainty in Washington.

All of this is intended to protect them from potential disruption from the Trump administration, Glosserman said.

Two years ago, Australia and Japan signed an agreement allowing their armies access to each other's territory. In 2026, Japan could deploy its advanced F-35 fighters to Australia during the Pitch Black exercise, its defense minister said on Sunday. And the two countries are also building weapons together, with Japan interested in the second pillar of AUKUS, an undersea pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia that includes the development of advanced technologies.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making his final official trip to the Indo-Pacific. There, he tries to reassure his counterparts that Washington will not abandon its commitments despite the change of administration.

Partly to make relations between the United States, Japan and Australia more sustainable, the three countries agreed to a more formal meeting schedule for their top defense officials. It is a structure similar to the one the United States has built with Japan and South Korea, two historic rivals, over the past two years.

There is a huge strategic advantage in working more closely together, Richard Marles, Australia's deputy prime minister and defense minister, told a news briefing here.

Allies in the region, however, are concerned about the risk that America will not follow what they consider to be its strategic interests. Trump's nominee to replace Austin is Pete Hegseth, a military veteran and Fox News host with no experience in Washington.

When asked if he had confidence in Hegseth's abilities, Marles said exactly that.

I approach the prospect of getting to know Pete Hegseth and working with him with enormous optimism, he said.

Noah Robertson is the Pentagon reporter at Defense News. He previously covered national security for the Christian Science Monitor. He holds a bachelor's degree in English and government from the College of William & Mary in his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos