Australian and Japanese defence ministers agree to strengthen bilateral S&T links

The Minister of Defense of Japan, Mr Kishi Nobuo, and the Australian Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds, agreed to strengthen bilateral defence and security links, including defence science and technology, and defence industry cooperation, and coordination on regional issues of shared interest. The two met in Tokyo on 19 October.

According to the official communique, “The Ministers resolved to pursue all means to forge deeper links across a range of defence and security interests, as COVID-19 measures allow. Ministers concurred: to enhance interoperability between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Australian Defence Force; to drive bilateral space and cyber cooperation in areas of mutual benefit; to deepen defence science and technology collaboration, including new possible joint research in the areas of hydroacoustics and ground vehicle autonomy; and

to continue to grow industry-to-industry engagement to support capability for our respective defence forces.”