US has access to 110 defense facilities in Australia — The Guardian World
US military personnel and defense corporations control or have access to 110 defense facilities in Australia, accounting for more than half of all military facilities in the country. The data is contained in a Nautilus Institute database published by The Guardian.
Access to military facilities
According to the database, the United States controls 17 facilities on mainland Australia and has access to 75 military facilities operated by Australia. Another 18 facilities are accessible to US defense corporations. The database counts individual defense facilities rather than only military bases: for example, the Pine Gap complex includes three adjacent facilities with different functions.
The US military uses Australian facilities to collect intelligence, obtain satellite information, conduct exercises, station equipment, and provide logistics. Up to 2,500 US Marines are deployed on rotation in the Northern Territory during the dry season. US weapons, ammunition, fuel, and transport are planned to be stationed at Bandiana base in Wodonga for rapid deployment in the event of a conflict in the Pacific.
US arms manufacturers also use Australian sites for production, testing, and training. Lockheed Martin assembles guided missiles in Port Wakefield, South Australia, while Northrop Grumman has secured a multimillion-dollar contract to manufacture rocket motors for guided weapons in Mulwala, New South Wales.
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Government position and expert assessments
The Force Posture Agreement provides US military personnel and contractors with unimpeded access to agreed Australian facilities, including for stationing forces and materiel, fueling vessels, and refueling aircraft. Starting next year, up to 1,200 US service members are expected to operate from the HMAS Stirling submarine base near Fremantle.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has said that expanding the US military presence helps strengthen Australia's defense capabilities and national security. A representative of the country's defense department stressed that Australia adheres to the principle of having no foreign bases on its sovereign territory, and that the government retains sole control over the use of its armed forces and the country's territory.
At the same time, the database's author, Professor Richard Tanter, described the scale of the US presence as a “saturation” of Australia's defense sphere. In his view, the United States has for more than a decade been preparing capabilities for intensive military operations against China based on Australia. Expert Albert Palazzo also expressed concern that an expanded US military presence could draw Australia into a war between the United States and China.
