Japanese troops headed our way

JAPANESE bombers could be on their way back to Darwin, but on far friendlier terms than their last visit in 1942.

A historic defence agreement, reportedly being negotiated by Malcolm Turnbull and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, could see the Japanese Government conducting military exercises out of Darwin.

The Australian reports the move is part of a multipronged strategy to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The wideranging agreement, which will also allow military equipment and ammunition to be transported far more easily between the countries, will be progressed during the Prime Minister’s trip to Tokyo next week, according to the national broadsheet.

Mr Turnbull is due to arrive in Tokyo on Thursday to meet the Japanese PM, who has been keen to amend his country’s post-World War II constitution to give the military a more legitimate role on the world stage.

Australia and Japan have championed building up regional alliances – such as the revived Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Japan, India, the US and Australia – in the face of China’s increasing dominance in the region.

Mr Turnbull has said he and Mr Abe would discuss a new visiting forces agreement, a type of arrangement that Japan has with one other nation – the US.

“We are working to formalise this in our reciprocal access agreement that will further enhance our defence interoperability,” Mr Turnbull said.

The deal could be signed by the end of they year, paving the way for the Japanese SelfDefence Force troops to train in Australia and potentially return to the Top End.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Peter Jennings said he expected the deal would allow for Japanese forces to conduct exercises in Australia and cement Australia as Japan’s No.2 security partner.

“The service that we’re probably least close to is the Self-Defence Force army, and that’s partly a result of Japan’s own historical constraints on sending their forces abroad for co-operation,” he said.

“So I’d expect there’d be an opportunity for more army engagement, including, ironically enough, perhaps out at Darwin, maybe doing trilateral activities with the US marines there.”

In 1942, Japanese fighters and bombers attacked Darwin, killing 252 Allied personnel and civilians.