Lloyd Austin

US defence chief Lloyd Austin observes joint drills with Japan, Australia

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin expressed confidence about enhanced military capabilities among the United States, Australia and Japan as he observed joint exercises Wednesday showcasing their closer cooperation as tensions grow in the region. Austin is in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security. Austin noted as he observed the trilateral Yama Sakura 87 exercises held at the Japanese army's Camp Asaka on the outskirts of Tokyo that the necessary equipment, munitions and people are in place and these are the things that will guarantee success if we ever get challenged on the battlefield. Japan, under a security strategy introduced in 2022, is pursuing a rapid military buildup to increase its deterrence against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia, and has bolstered defense cooperation, especially with the United States and Australia. On Tuesday, during talks with Japanese officials, Austin praised the ...

US def secy in Japan to discuss safety of Osprey aircraft, security ties

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is in Japan on Tuesday to meet with Japanese officials and reaffirm the importance of their alliance and the US commitment to regional security as threats rise from China and North Korea. Austin's visit also comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Osprey military aircraft, which have been grounded in the United States following a near-crash at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico last month. The incident, caused by weakened metal components, was similar to a fatal crash off southwestern Japan last year. The US measure has not affected Ospreys operated by Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force. Japanese officials are discussing the issue with the US military and will respond appropriately," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Tuesday. Austin is scheduled to hold separate talks with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later Tuesday, according to Japanese officials. Nakatani told reporters t

US defence chief visits Kyiv for talks on how to keep supporting Ukraine

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit Monday, hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital and as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes Western partners to keep providing military support for the war. Austin said on the X platform that his fourth visit shows that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine. Ukraine is having difficulty holding back a ferocious Russian campaign along the eastern front that is gradually compelling Kyiv's forces to give up a series of towns, villages and hamlets. Zelenskyy is urging Western allies to support his so-called victory plan' to end the almost three-year war, which is Europe's biggest conflict since World War II and has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides, including many civilians. His strategy includes a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western long-range missiles to strike military targets in Russi

US' top officials Blinken, Austin mourn Oct 7 attack on Israel by Hamas

Lloyd further expressed sorrow over the deaths of Palestinian civilians as well as the American citizens killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the conflict

Pentagon chief warns Iran of 'serious consequences' if it attacks Israel

Israel and the US have promised to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensify

Rajnath, Austin discuss defence cooperation; appreciate progress in INDUS-X

The two leaders also appreciated the progress made in operationalising the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness, a Quad initiative

US relationship with India remains one of great importance: Pentagon

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to host his Indian counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, at the Pentagon on August 23. The relationship with India remains one of great importance. It's one of great importance to the Indo-Pacific as well. There's a visit coming up and when we have more to share on that, we certainly will, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday. During the meet, the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, as well as ways to strengthen ties between the world's two largest democracies. Sabrina Singh did not share details of the meeting, saying I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary or any meetings that he's doing. As always, we will have a readout of his meeting. I just don't have more to provide on the front end, but we will on the back end, as we always do, she added. The Pentagon official underscored that India and the US share a very strong .

Lloyd Austin orders submarine to Mideast, tells aircraft carrier to hasten

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday. The moves come as the US and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the US has been beefing up its presence in the region. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day, and reiterated America's commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle .

US defence secretary overrides plea agreement for accused 9/11 mastermind

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday overrode a plea agreement reached earlier this week for the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two other defendants, reinstating them as death-penalty cases. The move comes two days after the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, announced that the official appointed to oversee the war court, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier, had approved plea deals with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accused accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, in the attacks. Letters sent to families of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the al-Qaida attacks said the plea agreement stipulated the three would serve life sentences at most. Austin wrote in an order released Friday night that in light of the significance of the decision, he had decided that the authority to make a decision on accepting the plea agreements was his. He nullified Escallier's approval. Some families of the attack's victims condemned the deal for cutting

Austin praises Biden's statesmanship after he drops out of prez race

Secretary Austin expressed profound gratitude for President Biden's leadership, highlighting his pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy and strengthening global alliances

War with China neither imminent nor unavoidable: US Defence secy Austin

United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding miscalculations and misunderstandings. Austin's comments at the Shangri-La defence forum in Singapore came the day after he met for more than an hour on the sidelines with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, the first in-person meeting between the top defence officials since contacts between the American and Chinese militaries broke down in 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, infuriating Beijing. Neither side budged from their longstanding positions on Taiwan which China claims as its own and has not ruled out using force to take and on China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which has led to direct confrontations between China and othe

US-India ties based on common vision and values: Defence Secy Lloyd Austin

Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin on Saturday said the US-India ties are based on a common vision and common values and the momentum in the relationship is not only going to continue but will pick up speed. Austin's remarks came as he responded to a delegate's question at the Shangri La Dialogue about bilateral ties. Held annually in Singapore, the Shangri La Dialogue Dialogue is Asia's premier defence summit. The relationship we enjoy right now with India is as good as or better than our relationship that it has ever been, he told delegates. "We are co-producing armoured vehicles with India, he said, adding that good progress has been made on the project. The US-India relations are based on a common vision and common values. So, I believe the momentum that we see is not only going to continue but, at a point, it will pick up speed. In his address on the Indo-Pacific region, Austin said: Together with our friends in the region, we are breaking down national barriers and better ...

Pentagon chief extends deployment of aircraft carrier, ships in Red sea

The US Navy aircraft carrier strike group that for months has launched crucial strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to protect military and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will remain in the region for at least another month, according to US officials. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the order last week to extend the four ships' deployment for a second time, rather than bring the carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and its three warships home. The other ships in the strike group are the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, the USS Gravely and the USS Mason. All together they include about 6,000 sailors. The decision means the sailors and the carrier's Air Wing won't be home until the middle of the summer, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not made public. The officials declined to provide exact dates. A normal ship deployment lasts for about seven months, and the ships left their homepo

US Defence Secy Austin to meet Chinese counterpart to discuss thorny issues

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to manage tensions, and in November the two leaders agreed to resume direct military talks

Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah despite allies warning against it

A US official who declined to be identified told Reuters that Israel promised not to make a major move in Rafah without advising Washington

India-US jet engine deal is revolutionary, says defence secretary Austin

The India-US deal to jointly produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force is revolutionary, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on Wednesday. The landmark deal was announced last June during the historic Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. The General Electric signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics to make fighter jet engines for the IAF. Austin told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that the United States has a great relationship with India. We recently have enabled India to produce a jet weapon, a jet engine in India. And that's kind of revolutionary. That will provide a great capability to them. We are also co-producing an armoured vehicle with India," he said. "So, all of these things, when you add them up, are probably more than we have seen happen in that region in a very, very long time, Austin said.

Iran-Israel conflict: Blinken calls Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi FMs

: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reached out over phone to the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had calls with his Saudi and Israeli counterparts, amid signs of an escalating crisis in the Middle East following Iran's strikes on Israel. Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, which Tehran said was in response to the April 1 strike on its consulate in Syria. Almost all Iranian drones and missiles were shot down by Israeli, US and allied forces before they reached their targets. The diplomatic overdrive to fight the crisis came soon after US President Joe Biden had a conference call with G-7 leaders and had separate telephonic conversations with King Abdullah of Jordan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. In all the calls, the American leadership emphasised on the need to avoid further escalation in the region and reaffirmed America's ironclad commitment to the security of ...

We don't seek conflict with Iran, but will protect forces: Lloyd Austin

US Defence Secretary further highlighted that the US forces, at the direction of President Joe Biden, intercepted dozens of missiles and UAVs en route to Israel

Indo-Pacific to ensure US-India partnership supports allies: Lloyd Austin

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has told lawmakers that by bolstering the Indian military's capabilities, the nations can work together to uphold a more stable balance of power across the wider Indo-Pacific. He also told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing this week on the annual budget of the Department of Defense that the militaries of the US and India are accelerating operational activities to boost maritime security in the Indian Ocean. "By bolstering the Indian military's capabilities, we can work together to uphold a more stable balance of power across the wider Indo-Pacific," Austin said and added that "with this budget request, we are beginning a new chapter in US-India relations under our Major Defense Partnership". The defense secretary said, "Our militaries are accelerating joint exercises, information-sharing and other operational activities to boost maritime security in the Indian Ocean." "We are committed to ensuring that th

'Don't have evidence' of Israel committing genocide in Gaza: Lloyd Austin

Austin referred to the horrors carried out by Hamas on October 7 as a 'war crime' but refrained from calling them a genocide at the hearing on Tuesday