The newly arrived Deployable Joint Task Force Headquarters for NATO’s Joint Command Lisbon on Thursday was coordinating with Pakistani officials the forces’ deployment options. The NATO forces will total more than 1,000 troops and engineers, according to an alliance statement and will be deployed to the country’s earthquake-affected areas. The alliance is already operating air bridges from Europe and Turkey that are transporting supplies to the region from Ramstein AB, Germany, and Incirlik AB, Turkey.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.