Australia Joins US-Japan Military Exercise for the 1st Time

‘We are actively strengthening our commitment to security cooperation.’

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) sails in formation with ships from the Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force while conducting replenishment-at-seas approaches (RASAPs) as part of Malabar 2020. U.S. INDOPACOM

Australia has taken part in a military exercise that was previously an exclusive activity between the United States and Japan as the contours of the AUKUS partnership take a more concrete shape.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) last week joined their counterparts for Exercise Keen Edge in Hawaii and mainland Japan, which tested combat readiness to counter security challenges in the region.