Australia and Japan have outlined an intention to expand defence equipment collaboration, building on Canberra’s newly confirmed deal to sell additional Bushmaster multirole protected vehicles to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
The pledge to increase bilateral co-operation in military equipment, science, and technologies was made during meetings in Tokyo on 18 January between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his visiting Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull.
Turnbull used the visit to promote Australian defence exports, and he highlighted Thales Australia’s sales of the Bushmaster as an example of expanding opportunities.
Thales Australia built and supplied four Bushmaster vehicles to the JGSDF in 2014 at a cost of around AUD3.6 million (USD2.8 million) and Turnbull said that the company is scheduled to “ship another tranche of four Bushmasters” during the next few months.
(Jane's)