Australia to join India naval exercise

Australia has been invited to participate in India’s Malabar naval exercise in November and has strengthened bilateral defence ties with Japan.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

Australia has been invited to participate in India’s Malabar naval exercise in November and has strengthened bilateral defence ties with Japan, as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue partners move to counter China’s military rise in the Indo-Pacific.

The inclusion of Australia in Malabar – the fourth member of the Quad to participate after India, the US and Japan – will sharpen the interoperability of all four navies in a move likely to infuriate China.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds the nation’s participation in Malabar would enhance Australia’s maritime capabilities and demonstrate “our collective resolve to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.

“Exercise Malabar also showcases the deep trust between four major Indo-Pacific democracies and their shared will to work together on common security interests,” she said.

It came as Australia and Japan also strengthened their defence partnership, pledging to negotiate a new agreement allowing Japan’s Self-Defence Forces to “protect Australian Defence Force assets” if they come under threat.

Senator Reynolds and her Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo announced the move after a meeting in Tokyo on Monday.

In a joint statement, the ministers voiced “strong opposition” to “coercive unilateral actions” in the South and East China seas, vowing to undertake bilateral and multilateral freedom of navigation operations “to maintain a free and open, secure, inclusive and prosperous region”.

They also declared serious concerns over the militarisation of disputed features, coercive use of coast guard vessels and “maritime militia”, and disruption of other nations’ resource exploitation activities.

The two countries would enhance military interoperability “through increasing the complexity and sophistication of bilateral exercises and operations, including testing of air-to-air refuelling,” the statement said.

Defence personnel exchanges would also be stepped up, along with space and cyber co-operation, and defence science and technology collaboration, including potential joint research into “hydroacoustics and ground vehicle autonomy”.

The two nations are yet to finalise a vital reciprocal access agreement, setting out a legal framework for closer defence co-operation including the use of the other country’s bases and conduct during joint exercises.

The agreement has been frustrated by Australia’s concerns that Defence Force personnel could potentially face the death penalty in Japan if they commit heinous crimes.

However, both ministers committed to “continue to make efforts towards this goal”.

“In light of the growing bilateral defence and security relationship, the agreement will improve administrative, policy, and legal procedures to facilitate joint operations and exercises,” they said.

The Malabar invitation follows a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Tokyo earlier this month, attended by Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

Senator Payne said: “It will bolster the ability of India, Australia, Japan and the United States to work together to uphold peace and stability across our region.”

Australia participated in Malabar in 2007, but has not been included since amid Chinese concerns of the Quad.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used the meeting to push for closer military ties between the Quad partners, calling for “a true security framework – a fabric that can counter the challenge that the Chinese Communist Party presents to all of us”.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi attacked the Quad following the meeting, saying it was part of Washington’s bid to build an “Indo-Pacific NATO”.

“What it pursues is to trumpet the Cold War mentality and to stir up confrontation among different groups and blocs and to stoke geopolitical competition. What it maintains is the dominance and hegemonic system of the United States,” Mr Wang said.