Australia says forces ready to deploy after Balikatan
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- Australia’s defence chief Admiral David Johnston said the Australian military is ready to deploy with allies if needed after the Balikatan exercises in the South China Sea.
- Philippines served as the venue for the Balikatan drills with about 400 Australian personnel and over 15,000 participants from the United States, Canada, Japan, France, and New Zealand, featuring the first Japanese combat troops in the Philippines since WWII.
- Japan is transferring older warships to the Philippines and building new warships for Australia as part of a broader effort to counter China’s growing maritime power.
- Australia plans to increase defence spending by billions of dollars, including procurement of Japanese‑built warships, to bolster its naval capabilities.
- Admiral David Johnston will step down in July after overseeing the exercises and reaffirming the goal of deterrence and disaster‑relief cooperation.
Why it matters: Australia’s billions‑dollar defence boost and new Japanese warships give the alliance a ready‑to‑deploy force, tightening deterrence against China’s expanding naval reach and prompting further regional arms build‑up.
