Japan Australia hypersonic missile test deal

Japan and Australia announced a new defense arrangement on Tuesday, allowing Japan's Self-Defense Forces to conduct test launches of hypersonic missiles and other standoff weapons on Australian missile ranges over the next decade. The agreement, announced by Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi in Canberra, is part of deepening military cooperation between the two nations. They also unveiled Project Boobook, a joint venture to develop an enhanced laser system for threat detection on land and littoral combat platforms. This pact builds on existing cooperation, including Australia's acquisition of Japanese stealth frigates worth about A$10 billion. Both countries are responding to a rising China and evolving Indo-Pacific security dynamics, with the United States urging allies to increase defense spending.