An Australian warship and surveillance aircraft have conducted military exercises with Japan in the South China Sea under the close watch of the People’s Liberation Army.
The war games, which took place over the past weekend in strategically contested waters, focused on tactical operations, including anti-surface and anti-air warfare, but were not publicised by the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Two warships from Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), helicopter destroyer JS Izumo and destroyer JS Samidare, took part in the bilateral training drills after making a port visit to Vietnam as part of an Indo-Pacific Deployment.
HMAS Anzac is also currently on a five-month regional presence deployment to South-East Asia after its 200-strong crew departed Western Australia in April for various navy-to-navy engagements.
Flight data obtained by the ABC reveals two RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft flew over the South China Sea from the Clark Air Base in the Philippines on June 24, although only one of the surveillance planes was formally part of the military exercises.
Sources with knowledge of the two-day exercises have confirmed China’s People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) was in “the vicinity” of the activity but did not interact directly with the Australian warship or aircraft.
The Commander of Japan’s first surface unit for the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2023, Rear Admiral Takahiro Nishiyama, said his nation and Australia were considered “special strategic partners”.
“Like our country, Australia, an ally of the United States, is a ‘Special Strategic Partner’ in the Indo-Pacific region, sharing not only universal values but also strategic interests in security,” the rear admiral said in a statement.
“The relationship between the JMSDF and the Royal Australian Forces has never been stronger and more important, and the JMSDF will promote further improvement of interoperability and mutual understanding with the Royal Australian Navy in order to improve the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.”
In response to questions from the ABC, the Australian Defence Department confirmed “HMAS Anzac sailed in company with JS Izumo and JS Samidare while interacting with the RAAF P-8A Poseidon”, but offered few other details.
The department declined to comment on any nearby Chinese military presence, but a spokesperson said the ADF “routinely interacts with foreign militaries when operating in international airspace and international waters as a matter of course”.
During its regional deployment, HMAS Anzac is also helping enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea as part of Operation Argos.