Japan, Australia discuss missile test site use in Canberra talks

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met in Canberra on Tuesday to discuss Tokyo's potential use of Australian missile test sites, a move that would enable the Japan Self-Defense Forces to conduct launches of advanced stand-off missiles including hypersonic weapons on foreign soil for the first time.

Groundbreaking test access

Koizumi stated that enabling Japan's Self-Defense Forces to conduct test launches in Australia would represent a "groundbreaking development," according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News. The testing would include Japanese-developed hypersonic missiles, marking a significant expansion of Tokyo's defense capabilities abroad and deepening the two nations' strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific security architecture.

Joint defense initiatives

The defense chiefs also reviewed progress on jointly developed defense systems, including a new vessel for Australia and Project Boobook — a high-energy laser system that recently completed successful field trials in South Australia involving the defense ministries of both nations. "Japan and Australia have a unique close relationship built on strategic alignment," Marles said through social media platform X, adding that the two nations would collaborate more closely across defense training exercises, operations, and technology sharing.

Regional security framework

Koizumi emphasized that both countries must lead regional collaboration to contribute to Indo-Pacific peace and stability. The Project Boobook trials represent the first co-development initiative between Australian and Japanese defense industries, involving Australia's Defense Science and Technology Group alongside Mitsubishi Electric Australia and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and featured what the ministry called field testing of a world-first prototype laser system.