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January 19, 2024
Japan wants access to Australian military ranges to test missiles, in a significant step-up for joint military ties. Japanese officials are advancing plans to use "Australia's vast continent" as part of the development of their own missiles during talks with Australian counterparts.
The Defence Department confirmed Australia was collaborating with Japan on long-range guided weapons and integrated air and missile defence.
It comes a day after China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to sow discord between Australia and Japan over last year's sonar incident.
Japan wants access to Australian military ranges to test missiles in further deepening of ties, as Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong dismissed China's attempt to sow discord between Canberra and Tokyo over last year's sonar incident that injured an Australian navy diver.
In a significant step up for AustraliaJapan military ties, Japanese officials are advancing plans to use "Australia's vast continent" as part of the development of their own missiles, during talks with Australian counterparts.
The Defence Department confirmed Australia is collaborating with Japan on long-range guided weapons and integrated air and missile defence, and said Japanese missiles had been fired as part of last year's Exercise Talisman Sabre war games.
"We will continue to collaborate with close partners for testing and training in Australia when these activities provide mutual benefits," the department said.
The talks between officials were first reported by the Japan Times this week.
Officials also canvassed drawing up plans for co-operation to respond to simultaneous military contingencies in the South China Sea and East China Sea because of the threat posed by China.
Mr Albanese and Japanese leader Fumio Kishida refreshed a 2022 agreement on security co-operation, while a reciprocal access agreement makes it easier for militaries to operate in each other's country.
Japan has embraced a "counterstrike" doctrine to deter invasion. Like Australia, it is acquiring Tomahawk missiles from the US, while it plans to expand the range of its locally produced surface-to-ship missile from 200 kilometres to 1500 kilometres.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Malcolm Davis said Australian ranges would allow Japanese forces to test missiles for performance, including distances, accuracy, safety and how they evaded anti-missile defences.
Mr Albanese said he was unmoved by China's ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian's suggestion it was a Japanese warship and not a Chinese destroyer that turned on its sonar while shadowing HMAS Toowoomba off Japan's coastline last year. Australia protested to China at the time over the incident, in which a diver suffered minor injuries.
"I'm not swayed by the comments.
The navy made reports, I think it's very clear what occurred. I stand by the comments that I made at the time, that it was wrong. It shouldn't have occurred," Mr Albanese said.
Speaking from Jerusalem, Senator Wong said: "The Chinese ambassador advocates for his country. That's his job. What I would say about that incident is we stand by the assessments of the ADF and the representations we made."
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson called on the government to immediately rule out defence co-operation with the Chinese military.
"If they're not even willing to admit that their own vessels deliberately engaged in conduct which caused harm to Australian navy divers, then how on earth could we safely conduct a military exercise with them?" he said.
"One of the problems of being a Chinese diplomat is that you have an audience of one, and that's Xi Jinping."
