An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | July 14, 2022

Austin, Marles Discuss Future of Australia, U.S. Alliance

WASHINGTON -- The meeting between Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles was more of a family reunion than a strategic summit.

The two men met in the Pentagon to discuss what Austin called the "unbreakable alliance" between the two countries. The two met in Singapore last month. The Pentagon meeting comes on the heels of the NATO Summit in Madrid, where Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with alliance leaders including President Joe Biden.

Spotlight: NATO

"For decades, our two great democracies have been bound together by shared history, our deep friendship and our common values," Austin said. "And the United States and Australia are both standing strong to counter Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine."

Austin chairs the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and Australia is a member of that group channeling materials to Ukraine to help defend itself. "I'm grateful for Australia's leadership in supporting the Ukrainian people as they fight for their lives, and our freedom and our democracy," he said.

Spotlight: Support for Ukraine

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine challenges the rules-based international order in Europe, and China is challenging the order in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both Austin and Marles said they were particularly saddened by the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. They called Abe a champion of the international order and said he had done much to strengthen the Indo-Pacific's security, stability and prosperity.

Spotlight: Focus on Indo-Pacific

Abe's vision for the region is under attack. "Today that vision faces some major challenges," the secretary said. "China's disruptive and destabilizing actions threaten to undermine our values, our interests and our shared conviction that all states should be free to choose their own paths without coercion or intimidation."

The two leaders look to discuss several ways to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific. The secretary said he is proud of the work that the United States and Australia have done to make the alliance stronger and more capable.

Marles said the global rules-based order is being put under a pressure not seen since the end of World War II. The Russian attack on Ukraine – though thousands of miles from Australia – is a concern to the nation. He noted that the invasion challenges Australian principles and Australian national interests. He said this is why Australia is "the largest non-NATO contributor to their assistance."

China "seeks to shape the world around it in a way that we've not seen before," Marles said. He noted that China is also engaging in a huge military build-up, "that is a very significant phenomenon, which presents enormous challenges to both of us."
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
X
363,083
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
U.S., India launch Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024
Courtesy Photo
March 21, 2024 - Indian and U.S. combined armed forces began Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024 with the arrival of amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), March 18 and an opening ceremony March 19.This is the third time U.S. and...

USACE: Ensuring Safety Every Step of the Way
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work in Japan for all military services and agencies. With over 60 years of experience in designing and constructing facilities in Japan, JED possesses the experience in Japanese standards and specifications, regulations, construction practices, maintenance requirements, and culture needed to ensure facilities are built with the utmost safety and professionalism. Photo by Charles Maib.
March 21, 2024 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work...

THAAD Battery in Guam Successfully Completes Table VIII Evaluation
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launcher used by E-3 Air Defense Artillery THAAD Battery as part of their Table VIII certification in Dededo, Guam, March 13, 2024. The THAAD battery, equipped with a state-of-the-art missile defense system, is tasked with defending Guam against ballistic missile threats. (U.S. Army Photo by Maj. Trevor Wild)
March 21, 2024 - In a testament to readiness and operational excellence, Task Force Talon's E-3 ADA THAAD Battery conducted a Table VIII evaluation for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system stationed in Guam, March 11-15,...

Army CID Expands its Jurisdiction in Cobra Gold 2024, Major Exercise in Pacific Region
Special Agent Chow meets with Chonburi Provincial Police to discuss tactics, techniques, and procedures during Cobra Gold 2024.
March 20, 2024 - Supervisory Special Agent Erin Chow, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation, Far East Field Office became the first Army CID special agent to participate in the multinational Indo-Pacific military exercise Cobra Gold,...

U.S. Army Engineers Complete Wet Gap Crossing with the ROK Army
ROK Soldiers assigned to the 5th Corps Engineering Brigade River Crossing Company and Soldiers assigned to the 11th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division ROK/U.S. Combined Division, complete construction on a joint bridge, during a combined wet gap crossing exercise, near the Imjin River in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do from March 11-20, 2024. ROK and U.S. Army units utilized aviation, armor, air defense, chemical, biological and defense capabilities to train the security and protection of the site during the exercise that was designed to verify interoperability through the construction of a joint pontoon bridge. (U.S. Army photo by Pak, Chin-U)
March 20, 2024 - The 11th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Infantry-ROK/U.S. Combined Division joins forces with the ROK army 5th Engineer Brigade to participate in a combined wet gap crossing training...