Australia, Japan Sign $7 Billion Warship Deal

SYDNEY, April 18 (Reuters) – Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo’s most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.

Defense Ministers Richard Marles and Shinjiro Koizumi signed a memorandum “reaffirming the Australian and Japanese governments’ shared commitment to the successful delivery” of the warships, Marles said in a statement.

The deal struck in August anchors Japan’s push away from its postwar pacifism to forge security ties beyond its alliance with the U.S. to counter China.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is to supply the Royal Australian