By Liu Cheng

ROK and Australia have kept strengthening their defense ties recently, with close high-level interactions, upgraded military cooperation, and frequent joint exercises. Foreign media reported that the two countries' intensification of defense cooperation is aimed at achieving the strategic goal of pushing their defense relationship to a new level set at the 2+2 foreign and defense ministers' meeting this May. It also reflects their intention of expanding their influence as NATO allies.

ROK and Australia have had frequent military interactions recently as they are working to push their defense ties to a new level.

At the end of June, Australia dispatched an E-7A early warning aircraft and several F-35A fighters to visit ROK's Osan Air Base Airport via Guam and had exchanges with ROK air force pilots. At the same time, the HMAS Melbourne and other vessels of the Australian navy sailed through the South Pacific and berthed at the Port of Busan for a joint patrol with their ROK counterparts, before heading for Hawaii for the RIMPAC. ROK media reported that it was the first time that Australian vessels and aircraft below the regiment (equivalent) level were sent to engage in defense exchanges with the ROK, indicating their military cooperation has expanded to the tactical level.

In early July, ROK held a defense industry and technology forum in Australia, the first of its kind by the country, at which the two sides had a vice-defense-minister-level meeting. During the forum, ROK military enterprises presented their KF-21 fighter and other weapons to the Australian military. Military enterprises from both sides discussed the details of building a joint production line, and ROK presented the operation of the assembly line for its new-generation Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). According to foreign media, ROK moving its important annual forum to Australia is to highlight their special relations.

Echoing with the forum, multiple types of military aircraft of the ROK Air Force, including F-15K, KC-330 and C-130, arrived at Australia's RAAF Base Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black, the second time for ROK Air Force. It is reported that as the South Pacific airspace is far away from the Korean Peninsula in terms of security, Seoul's dispatch of such a large fleet to Australia was intended to form a regular interaction mechanism. The two countries also planned to carry out a joint regional patrol during the return of their forces from the RIMPAC.

The ROK and Australian navies and air forces also consulted on the mutual opening of their ports and airports, with the possibility of building material and technical support stations at ROK's Busan Base and Australia's Darwin Base. Canberra also planned to "take a stake in" ROK's maintenance center for F-35A and RQ-4 planes. Analysts said they are building temporary vessel and aircraft stations overseas in order to further intensify their interactions and exchanges.

Apart from pursuing common interests, each of the ROK and Australia has its own ax to grind.

ROK holding its defense industry and technology forum in Australia was a move to create the impression that its military industry is flourishing and promote the overseas arms sales of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to offset the political pressure at home. ROK and Australia have already signed an IFV contract worth around US$2.4 billion. ROK's KF-21 fighter and new-generation conventional submarine technology are on the purchase list of the Australian military too.

Located in the South Pacific, Australia strengthening its ties with the ROK can help extend its military antenna further out and may continue to expand its military presence in the West Pacific in the name of exercise, training, and exchange as the bilateral defense cooperation deepens. Besides, as the Australian military industry is limited in its capacity and countries like the US are seeing their arsenal emptying up due to the war in East Europe, ROK, with its well-developed military industry, becomes an important source of weapons.

The closer ties between the ROK and Australia mirror the constantly expanding presence of NATO allies. After the NATO summit in Washington, ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a phone call agreeing to participate in NATO's relevant activities. Their military presence in the Asia-Pacific under the NATO alliance framework is worth continuous attention.