Senior military officials from the United States, Australia, and Japan have agreed to enhance logistics interoperability among their maritime forces. This agreement aims to deepen maritime cooperation among the three nations, focusing on stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Vice Adm. Jeff Jablon of the U.S. Navy, Rear Adm. Naoya Hoshi of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), and Commodore Catherine Rhodes of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) participated in a signing ceremony aboard USS America during its port visit in Brisbane.
The U.S. Navy, JMSDF, and RAN have previously collaborated bilaterally on logistics under a strategic dialogue framework. This marks the first trilateral logistics agreement within this framework.
“Sustainment in depth is a primary objective,” said Vice Adm. Jablon. “We have robust logistics partnerships with Japan and Australia to ensure we can provide the right material and services at the right place, at the right time to mutually support our maritime forces.”
The agreement outlines cooperation areas such as reloading missile systems and flexible refueling. Since 2019, RAN and U.S. Navy forces have supported each other’s warships' missile reloading in the Indo-Pacific region.
Refueling naval vessels at sea is crucial for maintaining presence and responding to contingencies. The Military Sealift Command (MSC) has been outfitting leased commercial tanker ships with consolidated tanking connections since 2011 to augment oiler capability.
“Japan is excited about the chance to collaborate more closely with our U.S. and Australian partners,” said Rear Adm. Hoshi.
Incorporating logistics activities into training remains a focus for U.S. naval forces, including offloading missiles, rearming cruisers, refueling at sea, ship repair, airfield damage repair, salvage operations, and medical evacuations.
The signing occurred before exercise Talisman-Sabre 2025's official kickoff, where Australia, Japan, and other partners will participate in these activities.
“During Talisman-Sabre and beyond, we have clear opportunities to work trilaterally with our U.S. and Japanese partners on logistics initiatives,” said Commodore Rhodes.