In the hills of Australia, Pacific allies are training to fight Beijing

Multinational manoeuvres are the new normal as the Australia, the US and Japan prepare for a possible confrontation with China over Taiwan.

US allies in the Pacific have stepped up military exercises. Picture: Ioanna Sakellaraki/WSJ

In the rugged hills outside the Queensland coastal city of Townsville, Japanese and Australian artillery crews fired in tandem on a distant target. They were assisted by US Marines, who were embedded with the Australian gun teams.

The live-fire drill was the culmination of Southern Jackaroo, an expanding annual exercise in the Australian bush in which the three nations’ forces practise working together as allies.

Although top officers didn’t call out any foe by name, troops taking part said it was clear that they were training to fight China.

As Beijing’s military steadily expands its forays in the Pacific, US allies in the region are realising they could easily be drawn into a conflict with China. They are responding by bolstering their forces and increasing joint drills to ensure they can work together seamlessly.

A primary goal of the combined displays of force is to complicate Beijing’s planning and convince the Chinese leadership that it would be too risky to use military force to assert territorial claims.

Troops fire artillery during Southern Jackaroo.

The annual exercise took place outside Townsville. Pictures: Ioanna Sakellaraki/WSJ

Australia and Japan, both of which have security pacts with the US, have emerged as essential US partners in the Pacific. If a war were to erupt, Washington would want Tokyo to sign off on the US using its Japanese bases to confront China and for Australia to send aircraft, ships and troops to Japan to help the fight, some defence analysts say.

“If there’s any argument to be made for a collective approach to deterrence in the region, it’s these three countries,” said Jeffrey Hornung, the Japan lead at Rand, a think tank.

On Friday, the US, Japan and Australia further bolstered their co-operation with a new naval logistics agreement that covers activities such as refuelling and reloading missile systems, which could be vital to improving their defences.

Australia is also gearing up to host the three-week Talisman Sabre exercise opening Sunday. The exercise will involve 19 nations, including the US and Japan, and more than 30,000 personnel.

Multinational manoeuvres are the new normal as the US and its allies prepare for a possible confrontation with China over Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing claims as its territory.

China has spent years building up its military – it now has the world’s largest navy – and is using that extra heft to expand its influence, including in areas beyond the “first island chain,” which includes Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.

China sent an aircraft carrier group to waters east of Iwo Jima, a remote Japanese island, for the first time in June, prompting alerts from Tokyo. In another foray this year, China conducted naval drills near Australia.

Marines are briefed before a live-fire exercise during Southern Jackaroo.

About 3000 troops took part in this year’s exercise. Pictures: Ioanna Sakellaraki/WSJ

At the same time, Beijing has continued to send its armed forces into the waters and airspace around Taiwan. It has expanded its operations in the disputed South China Sea near the Philippines and is increasing its activities in the Yellow Sea, a strategic area between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula.

“The Chinese are stretching their legs,” said Kelly Magsamen, who was chief of staff to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in the Biden administration.

“Their military modernisation has been at a pace that is pretty astounding. And then once you create a military, you start using your military, and you start pushing further and farther afield.”

Beijing has accused the US and its allies of spreading false accusations about the threat from China, and it has denounced the drills as provocations that disrupt peace and stability.

Australia and Japan have emerged as essential US partners in the Pacific. Picture: Ioanna Sakellaraki/WSJ

Training is picking up all over the region. In one recent exercise, US tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft carried Marines and Philippine troops to beaches and a nearby airfield where they practised repelling an adversary. In another, F-35 jet fighters from the US, Japan and Australia trained together for the first time in Guam, a US island territory with an expanding military role.

About 3000 troops took part in this year’s Southern Jackaroo, the most since the exercise started in 2013.

Australia and Japan are longtime US allies that host American troops and have militaries that can complement US forces with missiles, surveillance assets and logistical support. They rely on the region’s waterways for trade, so maintaining stability and access is crucial. A paper published by Australia’s defence department in 2015 said that 54 per cent of the country’s trade passed through the South China Sea on its way to northeast Asia.

“There’s such a commonality between our three countries,” said Scott Morrison, the former Australian prime minister who ramped up military co-operation with Japan and the US during his 2018-22 tenure. “When it comes to the things that really matter, it goes pretty deep.”

In Australia, the US is investing in air bases in the north. Marines are stationed in Darwin for part of the year and US submarines are slated to begin rotations through a naval base in Western Australia in 2027.

In Japan, which permanently hosts tens of thousands of American troops, the US is establishing a so-called joint force headquarters, which will have more operational responsibility and work more closely with its Japanese counterparts. An island-fighting regiment of Marines was recently formed in Okinawa and Tokyo is planning to deploy new Japanese missiles.

There are points of friction among the three nations. The Trump administration is pressuring allies to lift military spending, arguing the US has shouldered an unfair share of the cost of keeping them safe. It also hasn’t spared America’s traditional friends from new tariffs.

Last month, the Pentagon began a review of the $US240 billion plan that involves selling nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Officials in Washington say they want to ensure that the US builds enough submarines for itself.

An Australian soldier outside Townsville.

The commander of the Australian brigade at the exercise wants armored vehicles to fight together next year. Pictures: Ioanna Sakellaraki/WSJ

Then there are the challenges of learning to work together, as troops taking part in the exercise discovered.

In one drill, the Marines used Ospreys to act as an air assault element – much as they would when island-hopping in a conflict in the Pacific – while troops from the three countries seized and cleared terrain.

The language barrier was the most obvious obstacle, with Japanese troops relying on a small number of English-speaking interpreters. The Marines, who don’t bring personal devices with translation apps to most field training because of security concerns, said using visual aids such as maps made it easier to communicate.

There are also different operating procedures. At the artillery drill, the Japanese were more inclined to use handheld flags to communicate, while the Australians favoured sending commands digitally.

Some officers said the troops would benefit from even more complex scenarios. Capt. Jolie Brakey, a US Marine artillery commander at the exercise, wants to practise more amphibious operations with the Japanese.

“I know we’re good inland,” she said. “But what does it look like embarking on one of their naval vessels? What are those procedures and how do we work those out ahead of time?” Brig. Ben McLennan, commander of the Australian brigade at the exercise, already knows what he would like next year: armoured vehicles fighting together on a manoeuvre range and infantry fighting in trenches.

Over time, the exercise “has achieved an extraordinary level of integration,” McLennan said. “That’s something to double down on. And that’s what we’re going to be doing.”

WSJ