The United States Will Address Australia’s Military Capability Gap, Says Secretary of Defense

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a press conference during the 32nd annual Australia - US Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Dec. 6, 2022. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The United States and Australia have committed to significantly increasing defence cooperation to plug Australia’s capability gap and counter the growing threat of Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington D.C. for the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial (AUSMIN) meeting.