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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III is set to begin a whirlwind tour of the Indo-Pacific with upcoming visits to both Papua New Guinea and Australia.
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The US Secretary of Defense will meet with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Australia.
He will also attend the United States’ largest military exercise with Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre, later this month.
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 runs from 22 July to 4 August incorporating force preparation activities, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, air combat, and maritime operations among 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Key countries include Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany as participants and the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand as observers.
Secretary Austin will visit US and Australian service members participating in the exercise, as well as attend leadership discussions regarding force posture modernisation, defence industrial base cooperation, and regional security integration for a shared regional vision of peace, stability, and prosperity.
He will also conduct the first-ever visit to Papua New Guinea by a sitting US Secretary of Defense to meet Prime Minister James Marape, along with Minister for Defence Win Bakri Daki, Secretary for Defence Hari John Akipe, and Chief of Defence Force Major General Mark Goina. Both parties will discuss the recent signature of the US-Papua New Guinea Defense Cooperation Agreement, shared values, and shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Earlier this month, US Marine Corps Forces Pacific Commander Lieutenant General William Jurney co-hosted the 9th Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in Indonesia with Indonesian Marine Corps Commandant Major General Nur Alamsyah.
Attending delegates included those from Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“Our partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific contribute to regional peace and security. Moreover, cooperation and collaboration among likeminded nations, particularly for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, improves our collective ability to save lives and alleviate suffering,” said Lt Gen Jurney.
“I am glad to benefit from the collective wisdom and experience of my colleagues here as we continue to work together to maintain peace, stability, and security in a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
