In a significant move to bolster naval cooperation, Australia, Japan, and the United States have formalized their first three-way logistics agreement aimed at strengthening maritime interoperability.
The agreement is designed to streamline the sharing of technologies, operational data, and standardized procedures to better support combined operations—whether routine missions or crisis responses.
It further integrates logistics into naval drills, specifically in areas such as maintenance, emergency medical evacuation, and airfield recovery. While the U.S., Japanese, and Australian navies already collaborate bilaterally in areas like missile replenishment and underway refueling, this trilateral accord expands that cooperation.
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command is currently testing new systems for missile canister transfers at sea, engineered to operate even in rough waters. These systems are compatible with MK-41 launchers, widely used among allied fleets, and are scheduled for additional trials in 2025–2026.
This development complements ongoing Indo-Pacific missile rearming efforts between the U.S. and Australia and reflects the deeper logistical coordination already underway. The three nations’ replenishment vessels also frequently refuel each other during combined maritime operations.
