Japan eyes deeper defence ties with Australia, India to ease supply chain concerns
Japan is looking beyond the United States to enhance its defence capabilities, as mounting doubt over American munitions supplies pushes Tokyo to seek deeper industrial ties on this front with Australia and India. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s visits to the two countries this week are set to advance cooperation spanning warships to stealth technology and drones, analysts say, pointing to…
Japan is expanding its defense ties with Australia and India to address concerns over potential supply chain issues, as it seeks to enhance industrial cooperation. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is set to visit both countries to advance collaboration in areas such as warships, stealth technology, and drones. The three-day visit, starting on Tuesday, aims to strengthen ties and explore potential mutual benefits in the defense sector.
This shift comes amid doubts about American munitions supplies, which may not be able to meet Japan's demands quickly enough due to production limitations and long waiting lists. Rintaro Inoue, a research fellow, highlighted that prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine could deplete stockpiles for US allies, making cooperation with like-minded nations more crucial.
The visit will also focus on potential joint development of drones and fighter jets, as India shows interest in the Unicorn stealth system used on the Japanese Mogami-class frigate. Additionally, Japan is exploring trilateral defense cooperation with Australia and New Zealand to address the China challenge and strengthen collective defense in the Indo-Pacific region.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
