Japan’s Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro (2nd L) speaks with Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (not pictured) during a Defence Ministers’ Meeting at the Commonwealth Parliament Offices in Melbourne on April 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday (April 18, 2026), launching their landmark $10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo’s most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.
Defence Ministers Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi signed a memorandum “reaffirming the Australian and Japanese governments’ shared commitment to the successful delivery” of the warships, Mr. Marles said in a statement.
Published – April 18, 2026 03:21 pm IST