Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Australian and US counterparts, Richard Marles and Lloyd Austin, reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership, while confirming they will set up a new trilateral consultative body.

Following the gathering hosted by Marles in Darwin, the three defense chiefs held a joint press conference expressing concern about the increasingly severe regional security environment.

Nakatani emphasized the importance of the new three-way consultative body after saying at the outset of the meeting, "We want to update defense cooperation among Japan, the United States and Australia to a practical framework."

Under the new agreement, Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade - an elite marine unit - will be deployed to Darwin to regularly work and train alongside Australian and US forces.

Marles said the regular participation of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, which is responsible for carrying out amphibious operations, would help to bolster interoperability among Australia, Japan and the United States.

Austin said the partnership would increase intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance activities between the three countries, which will advance their goals for a secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific.