Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met in Singapore on May 31, 2025, for the fifteenth Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting (TDMM). This meeting coincided with the 22nd International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit.
The meeting marked the first ministerial session of Trilateral Defense Consultations (TDC), which was announced in November 2024. The three countries emphasized their shared commitment to collective deterrence and noted progress in trilateral interoperability and operational coordination. They reaffirmed efforts to deepen practical cooperation to address challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ministers acknowledged the complex security environment in the Indo-Pacific and highlighted the importance of their partnership in maintaining a free and open region. They expressed commitment to working with partners to reinforce defense capabilities.
The meeting welcomed progress under TDC to support alignment of policy and operational objectives across the Indo-Pacific. Initiatives include enhancing activities around Japan, increasing Japan’s participation in Australia-U.S. force posture activities, coordinating regional activities, aligning strategic communications, and conducting Table Top Exercises on regional contingencies.
Australia and the United States welcomed Japan's establishment of its Joint Operations Command (JJOC) in March 2025. There is an expectation for improved trilateral operational coordination between command centers through reciprocal exchanges between JJOC and Australia's Headquarters Joint Operations Command.
Commitments were reiterated to increase joint capabilities through various exercises including Exercise SOUTHERN CROSS in July 2026, Exercise COPE NORTH 2025, Exercise BUSHIDO GUARDIAN 2025, Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2025, as well as increased Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance cooperation.
Efforts are being made towards trilateral cooperation on Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) with opportunities for live fire training being explored. Progress has been noted towards building a networked air and missile defense architecture with plans for a live fire exercise at Exercise TALISMAN SABRE in 2027.
Cooperative projects under Research, Development, Test & Evaluation arrangements are progressing with joint research on aerospace materials expected by mid-2026. The completion of the Trilateral Concept on Human Machine Teaming marks progress towards collaborative combat aircraft systems.
Australia and the United States acknowledged successful defense industry cooperation at DSEI Japan 2025 while promoting multilateral defense industry partnerships within the Indo-Pacific region through initiatives like PIPIR work streams involving public-private sector collaboration.
A resilient supply chain for critical minerals was recognized as vital for achieving required defense capabilities with efforts ongoing across government agencies and industries.
The ministers affirmed ambitions to expand cooperation with regional partners such as India, Philippines, Republic of Korea while engaging Pacific Island countries exemplified by Japan’s participation in Exercise PUK PUK & Operation RENDER SAFE during 2025.
___