Japanese troops to join US marines in NT

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

********* troops to join US marines in NT

********* troops will join US marines deployed to the Northern Territory, in a major defence move amid simmering regional tensions.

Richard Marles was in Darwin on Sunday to meet his ********* and ********* defence counterparts as part of trilateral talks on boosting interoperability between forces.

Ahead of the meeting, the Defence Minister said the Reciprocal Access Agreement, which allows Japan and Australia to use each other’s military bases, presented an opportunity for ********* forces to train up alongside *********** and US troops.

“So we have spoken to Japan about having their Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade doing training with our own defence force … and with the US marines,” Mr Marles told Sky News.

Camera IconDefence Minister Richard Marles says ********* forces will deploy alongside *********** and US troops in the Northern Territory. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia

He said the move was “about building *********** capability”.

“It is really important that we are building the best relationships possible with like minded countries, with our friends and with our allies,” Mr Marles said.

“Japan is obviously a country with whom we share values of democracy. We have a huge strategic alignment with Japan.”

Mr Marles said he would give more details of the arrangements later on Sunday.

The deepening of three-way defence ties with Tokyo and Washington comes amid increased ******** military assertiveness.

Last month, the ******** military simulated an invasion of Taiwan as part of major war games that were condemned by the democratically self-governed island’s Western allies, including Australia.

Camera IconMore foreign troops will be deployed to the Northern Territory in a major defence move amid simmering tensions in the region. Glenn Campbell Credit: News Corp Australia

Beijing claims Taiwan and swathes of the strait that separates it from the ******** mainland, with President Xi Jinping having pledged to unite the two in his lifetime.

In September, the ******** military also confirmed it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean in a “routine” test.

The launch was the first such test in more than 40 years.

The ******** defence ministry said the ICBM was carrying a “****** warhead” and the launch was “not directed at any country”.

But ICBMs are primarily used as a nuclear weapons delivery system, which is why the test has sparked regional apprehension.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#********* #troops #join #marines

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up