#operation-perth

#operation-perth

Lord Robertson stated, 'We need to sort of round up those who are available, fit, and willing to be able to do it.' This emphasizes the urgency of engaging former service personnel in the strategic reserve.

Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles stated, 'Our surface fleet is more important than at any time in decades. These general-purpose frigates will help secure our maritime trade routes and northern approaches as part of a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet.'

Many of the foundations that have underpinned Australia's security, prosperity and democracy are being tested: social cohesion is eroding, trust in institutions is declining, intolerance is growing, even truth itself is being undermined by conspiracy, mis- and disinformation.

Air campaigns today are built around cooperation between many different aircraft, each performing a specific task. Stealth fighters lead the way into contested airspace, electronic warfare aircraft disrupt enemy radar, and bombers or strike fighters deliver precision weapons. Supporting aircraft provide intelligence, command and control, and the fuel needed to keep the entire operation moving.

While it is not legally ruled out, given the ongoing conflict, it is something that should be judged carefully. Any decision to dispatch Japanese military vessels to the Middle East to escort ships would face high hurdles, according to ruling Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi.

Trump said on Thursday that a US armada is heading towards the Gulf region with Iran being its focus. US officials said an aircraft carrier strike group and other assets are to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days. We're watching Iran. We have a big force going towards Iran, Trump said. And maybe we won't have to use it. We have a lot of ships going that direction.

Japan and Britain agreed Saturday to accelerate cooperation on cybersecurity and the supply of critical minerals, as China's influence grows in the region. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his visit to Japan comes at a time "when geopolitical, economic and technological shocks are literally shaking the world." Starmer's overnight Tokyo visit comes on the heels of his trip to Beijing, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to seek a long-term, stable "strategic partnership."