WASHINGTON, April 10. /TASS/. Australia, the US and Japan will jointly develop an air defense system, US President Joe Biden announced during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the White House.

"I am also pleased to announce that, for the first time, Japan, the United States and Australia will create a network system of air, missile [defense] and defense architecture," Biden said.

The US president added that Washington and Tokyo jointly modernize command and control structures, increase the operational compatibility of armed forces and coordinate planning.

Biden noted that the US anticipates the beginning of trilateral drills with participation of Japan and the UK, as well as the beginning of trilateral consultations of the AUKUS alliance regarding Japan’s potential participation in the second component of the partnership.

The AUKUS is a security partnership between the governments of Australia, the US and the US, established in September, 2021, for implementation of a number of defense initiatives in two areas, called components. The first one implies the provision of a fleet of nuclear attack submarines to Australia. The second one is connected with the joint development of military equipment in eight areas, which include submarine systems, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, cybersecurity and electronic warfare, hypersonic aircraft and interception means, as well as innovations and technologies of exchange of information.