遠々洛外
  • 遠々洛外のブログ - Far Beyond the Miyako Blog

SDF Participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre

26/5/2015

 
PictureUS Department of Defense
Last week the Australian Department of Defence put out a press release announcing that this year’s Exercise Talisman Sabre would feature the participation of the Japanese Self Defence Force, together with the New Zealand Defence Force. This news was not in itself surprising – it had first been reported in the Australian newspaper in November last year - yet it was treated by local media in Australia as a major development in the trilateral strategic relationship between the US, Australia, and Japan, and how this might have implications for Australia’s relationship with China.

Exercise Talisman Sabre is the main joint exercise conducted between the ADF and elements of the US armed forces. It is held once every two years, and takes place in and around Townsville and Rockhampton in Queensland. This year marks the first time that the SDF has participated in the exercise, although the numbers involved (40) are not exactly overwhelming. Nevertheless, the fact that the SDF have been assigned to operate with the US Marines during the exercise suggests that they will focus on amphibious landings, which is a reflection of both Japan’s increasing concern in maintaining its territorial integrity and the fact that the Marines are the principal US military force residing in Japan. 

Expectations are that the SDF’s involvement in this year’s exercise will be the start of a much broader plan for bilateral and trilateral training between Japan, the US and Australia. Last weekend Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, to attend the PALM7 dialogue on Pacific Island issues. While there Bishop met with PM Shinzo Abe, where they discussed an upgrade in the arrangements concerning bilateral training so that the SDF and ADF can more easily transit through one another’s countries to participate in exercises.   

The fact that this conversation has come a week before the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where expectations are that the US, under Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, will deliver a fairly stern rebuke of China’s island building in the South China Sea and unilateral imposition of restricted air and sea zones, adds to the rumour mill on just where Australia-Japan security relations are headed.

Australia has made no secret of the fact that it regards Japan as a crucial regional partner and a force for stability in an unstable world. The current deliberations in the Japanese Diet on Japan’s right to exercise collective self-defence (and the manner in which it will be exercised) have been closely followed by Australia’s political and policy class, and commentary on Japan’s intentions have generally found favour with a more ‘pro-active’ stance by Japan in ensuring that the region operates according to established laws and regulations.

Legislative activity by the Abe government has also brought about the possible involvement of Japan in Australia’s Future Submarine Project, and if this goes ahead, then clearly it will be in the interests of both countries to have a far larger defence relationship with one another.

The involvement of 40 SDF troops in Talisman Sabre is merely the beginning of regular military exercises between the forces of the US, Japan and Australia (not forgetting to mention New Zealand). At a time when China’s activities are raising serious questions about their intentions, it stands to reason that countries be prepared for whatever scenario may arise in the near distant future.



Comments are closed.

    Author

    This is a blog maintained by Greg Pampling in order to complement his webpage, Pre-Modern Japanese Resources.  All posts are attributable to Mr Pampling alone, and reflect his personal opinion on various aspects of Japanese history and politics (among other things).

    弊ブログをご覧になって頂きまして誠に有難うございます。グレッグ・パンプリングと申します。このブログに記載されている記事は全て我の個人的な意見であり、日本の歴史、又は政治状態、色々な話題について触れています。

    Categories

    All
    Disasters 災害
    Edo Period 江戸時代
    Japan Australia Relations 日豪関係
    Japanese Politics 日本の政治
    Japan Korea Relations 日韓関係
    Kamakura Period 鎌倉時代
    Meiji Period 明治時代
    Miscellaneous 雑学
    Muromachi Period 室町時代
    Regional Politics 地域の政治
    Regional Politics 地域の政治
    Second World War 太平洋戦争
    Sengoku Period 戦国時代

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    July 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    RSS Feed

© 2022 www.farbeyondthemiyako.com. All Rights Reserved.