U.S. and Australian officials continue to affirm the value of their alliance in helping to shape the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region, to include working toward an Asia-Pacific missile defense.
In their official communiqué, the two nations agreed to consult as the United States develops the phased-adaptive approach to ballistic missile defense for Europe. The consultation would allow missile defense “to be adapted to the threats unique to the Asia-Pacific.”
Additionally, Australia and the United States would continue to cooperate to build “a more detailed understanding of regional ballistic missile threats and cooperative research on technologies to counter such threats, and options for practical cooperation in this area,” the statement said.
Officials emphasized that the Australia-U.S. Alliance delivers real benefits to each country’s defense and national security.
Progress was evaluated on implementing U.S. force posture initiatives in Australia discussed in 2011.
“We welcomed the success of the first rotation of U.S. Marine Corps personnel to northern Australia, and looked forward to the next rotation in 2013,” the communiqué said. “We discussed our enhanced aircraft cooperation, which is expected to result in increased rotations of U.S. aircraft through northern Australia.”
Also, the two nations plan to strengthen their capacity to contribute to integrated civil-military operations, which reinforces the combined capacity to respond with other partners to “disasters, humanitarian emergencies and fragile and conflict-affected states across the Asia Pacific and globally.”
The two nations will continue to work on implementing the Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty to increase cooperation between Australian and U.S. defense industries and increase interoperability on joint operations and exercises.