Australian, United States (US) and Japanese personnel are taking to northern Australian skies in the Australian Defence Force’s newest trilateral exercise.

More than 1000 personnel and up to 40 aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force, United States Pacific Air Forces and Japanese Air Self Defense Force (Koku-Jieitai) have deployed as part of Exercise Southern Cross 26.

Exercise Southern Cross 26 is a new, trilateral exercise taking place at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal from 6 to 17 July 2026.

The exercise, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, seeks to practice operating as a trilateral task force within a contemporary, high-end, warfighting environment.

Officer Commanding the Exercise, Air Commodore Peter Robinson CSM emphasised the importance of Exercise Southern Cross 26.

“The Australia-Japan-United States trilateral partnership is critical to a secure, safe and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Air Commodore Robinson said.

“Exercise Southern Cross 26 will deepen our relationship, and build upon our ability to defend our collective interests, and deter coercion or conflict in the region.”

Over almost two weeks, the Royal Australian Air Force and its partners will exercise integrated, agile operations as a dispersed fighting force across northern Australia, including multinational aircraft maintenance, air-to-air refuelling, and the employment of live (inert) weapons.

Additionally, a bilateral Australia-Japan flight took place on the way to the exercise, with an Australian KC-30A refuelling Japanese F-35As over the Pacific Ocean. 

Media note

Media can access imagery/vision at http://images.defence.gov.au/S20261027 once available.