Australia’s northern air force bases will be expanded to support the rotation of a U.S. Navy patrol aircraft and American intelligence will work in Canberra next year as both nations boost military ties to counter Beijing’s aggressive expansion in the Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin joined their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles, in Brisbane on July 29 for the annual AUSMIN talks.
“We’re living in incredibly challenging times. That only underscores how vitally important it is for the United States to have this remarkable alliance, this remarkable friendship with Australia,” Mr. Blinken said at a press conference after the talks.
“We have no greater or more valuable ally.”
Ms. Wong echoed the sentiment, calling the United States a “vital ally.”
“[The U.S.] is our closest global partner, our closest strategic partner,” she said.
Australian and American intelligence officials will be focused on jointly “analysing issues of shared strategic concern in the Indo-Pacific,” according to the statement.
Mr. Marles said Australia and its allies faced the most complex set of strategic circumstances since World War II.
Greater Military Integration
Australia will also see an increased presence of the U.S. military, including longer and more frequent visits by U.S. nuclear submarines and U.S. Navy vessels including patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Both nations indicated the ambition of inviting like-minded allies to participate in maritime aircraft patrols in the future.Meanwhile, under the trilateral AUKUS security alliance, the United States and the United Kingdom will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, with the first ship scheduled to begin construction in 2034.
To fill the capability gap before the first submarines are delivered, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class attack submarines from the U.S.
“All of us have felt that the alliance has never been in better shape than it is right now,” Mr. Marles said.
The United States will also help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025, a key initiative to expand Australia’s military-industrial infrastructure and skilled workforce.
“This represents a very, very significant step forward in our relationship, and in the relationship of our defence industry,” Mr. Marles said.
The heightened collaboration was aimed at defending the international rules-based order and ensuring countries in the region are “free from any coercion.”
‘Message for All Australians’
Jennifer Parker, the deputy director defence of the Australia Strategic Policy Institute, an independent defence policy think tank, said the underlying theme of this year’s AUSMIN talks was “preparedness.”“And on the theme of preparedness, an underlying message is that, while not inevitable, the likelihood of a crisis or conflict is not remote.”
Ms. Parker said the joint statement was a document important to all Australians, not just to those with interests in defence and foreign policy.
“It contains an important message for all Australians that deserves attention. The likelihood of a crisis or conflict in our region is not remote, and our preparedness to confront this fact deserves attention,” she said.