Strengthening the alliance between Japan and Australia

09:00

Opening Remarks from the Chair

09:10

Keynote Ministerial Address: Enhancing the bilateral defence cooperation between Japan and Australia

• Working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific
• Maintaining our interests in the East China Sea and South China Sea
• Ensuring peace in the Taiwan Straits
• Strengthening the defence capability in the region
• Promoting dialogue and dealing with disinformation

09:40

Keynote Ministerial Address: Towards a collective deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific

• Enhancing our air engagement. Greater people to people links and establishing more training exercises
• Opportunities for the deployment of Japanese amphibious troops in Darwin
• Strengthening the coordination of command and control
• Working with other like-minded countries to maintain and strengthen the rules based international order

10:10

Keynote Address: The requirements to bolster Defense Capability and the role industry can play in helping us achieve this

• Achieving and maintaining a 2% GDP Defense spend. Is this sustainable?
• Outlining key capability requirements and the procurement pipeline and pathway
• Japan’s Defense Buildup Program. Where are we at?
• Building Japan’s counterstrike capabilities
• Developing Autonomous Defense capabilities

10:40

Keynote Industry Address: Delivering Capability for Japan and Australia

• Meeting the challenges to produce advanced capabilities on-time and on-budget
• Developing a robust, agile and transformative workforce
• Addressing global skilling challenges, a declining Japanese population and inflationary pressures
• Working effectively with Japanese SMEs and universities to deliver world-leading capability

11:00

Morning tea

Keeping the Region Safe

11:30

Understanding the security risk in the region

• Where are the threats coming from and how will they present themselves?
• Curbing China’s aggression in the East and South China Seas
• The impact of the North Korea/Russia Alliance
• Prospects for peace in the next 10, 20 years

11:50

Maritime security issues in East Asia

• Assessing China’s maritime expansion and the threat to the rules-based order
• Synergising military initiatives such as the QUAD, AUKUS, ARF, and ADMM
• The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on East Asian maritime

12:10

Panel Discussion: Assessing the maritime challenges in the region

• Navigating complex waters
• Resolving territorial disputes
• Improving interoperability
• Advancing maritime safety

12:40

The alignment of the ADF and JSDF across air, ground, sea and cyber domains

• The path and challenges for joint logistical operations
• An expansion of joint training exercises. The experience so far and plans for development
  • Pitch Black
  • Orient Shield
  • Exercise Keen Edge
  • Exercise Yama Sakura
  • Exercise Bushido Guardian

13:00

Lunch

Delivering Japan’s Defense Capability

14:00

Breaking down Japan’s commitment to double its Defence and national security spending

• Understanding “Senshu Bouei” and the importance of self-defense
• Assessing The National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Plan
• Opportunities for industry to deliver capability

14:20

Understanding Japan’s Defence Procurement System

• The need to create a focussed strategy aligned to Japan’s requirements and appreciating the complex nature and challenges operating in Japan
• Investing in local partnerships for long-term success
• Key factors that will help determine successful delivery of future capability

14:40

Case Study; Successfully operating an International Defence business in Japan

• Understanding and appreciating the cultural differences
• Forging long-term, successful partnerships with local suppliers and university researchers
• How the Japanese experience has transformed other international offices

15:00

Panel Discussion: Delivering Japan’s future capability

• Major challenges faced in delivering the National Defense strategy
• Forging best-practice partnerships and alignments to deliver future capability
• Addressing skilling concerns
• Accessing global supply chains

15:30

Afternoon Tea

Australia and Japan Defence Industry Collaboration

16:00

Opportunities for collaboration with Australian companies

• Exploring dual-use technologies
• Supply chain integration
• Secure date sharing arrangements
• Joint manufacturing

16:20

Enhancing Strategic Capabilities in robotic and autonomous systems for undersea warfare

• Delivering a bilateral research, test and evaluation project between Japan’s Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency and Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group
• The story so far. Challenges faced. Hurdles overcome
• Building a foundation for future joint research in robotics and collaborative autonomy

16:40

Closing session: Putting the J into AUKUS

• How adding Japan into AUKUS will enhance security and peacekeeping in the Indo-Pacific
• The expertise and knowhow Japan can bring to Pillar two advanced capabilities
• Taking advantage of world-leading companies in semiconductors, robotics and machine learning
• Learning from Japan’s advanced manufacturing sector, now contributing 20% to the country’s GDP.

17:00

Networking Drinks