More US forces headed Down Under to deter China

More US bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft will operate from Australia’s Top End bases to deter Chinese aggression.

Defence Minister Richard Marles, left, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after AUSMIN talks in Annapolis, Maryland. Picture: Getty Images

More US bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft will operate from Australia’s Top End bases under measures unveiled at AUSMIN talks on Wednesday to deter Chinese aggression.

The boost to the American military presence in Australia comes as the US vows to fast-track Australian production of guided missiles from next year without complex approvals processes, creating a seamless defence industrial base producing weapons for both nations.

Speaking after talks in the US, Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their US counterparts Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken, said China was engaged in “dangerous and escalatory” conduct towards its neighbours in the South China Sea that could lead to military conflict.

They vowed to challenge Beijing’s unilateral claim to the waterway through ongoing freedom of navigation operations and warned China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to “resist any actions that escalate tensions” across the Taiwan Strait.

Mr Austin said the US would increase its rotational deployments of military aircraft to jointly upgraded bases in Western Australia and the Northern Territory to strengthen deterrence across the region. “All this will mean more maritime patrol aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft operating from bases across northern Australia. It will also mean more frequent rotational bomber deployments,” he said.

The strengthened US military presence in Australia will include establishment of new US logistics facilities in Queensland and at Bandiana near Albury-Wodonga. US Army watercraft will also be deployed to Australia, as well as the long-running US Marine Corps rotations through Darwin.

Mr Marles said the US military was now operating in Australia across “land, sea, air, cyber and space”. He said the new facilities would “greatly enhance” the ability of US forces to operate from Australia into the region.

“There is genuine appreciation for the contribution that America is making to the stability and peace of the Indo-Pacific region by its presence in Australia.”

Mr Marles and Senator Wong at the AUSMIN talks. Picture: Getty Images

As the Albanese government pushes ahead with plans for domestic production of guided missiles, Mr Austin said the US was “doubling down” on defence industrial co-operation with Australia. The move follows the alignment of the nations’ defence controls laws, which will receive final approval within weeks, allowing licence-free trade in billions of dollars of military equipment.

Mr Marles said the closer defence industry co-operation was “groundbreaking”. “This is going to give enormous opportunities for Australian companies to participate and contribute to the supply chain here in the US,” he said.

In a joint statement, AUSMIN participants lashed China’s harassment of Philippines’ vessels in the South China Sea, declaring Beijing’s actions “inconsistent with international law”.

They blasted China’s “unsafe and unprofessional encounters” with naval vessels and aircraft, vowing to maintain a “steady and long-term presence” in both the South and East China seas to maintain freedom of movement.

Amid fears of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan by 2027, when Mr Xi has instructed his forces to be ready to fight, Mr Marles declined to commit Australian support to a potential US-led response. “Obviously we’re not going to speculate about hypotheticals … Our alliance is one where we are working closely with the US to deter conflict in the future and that is where our focus and energy is at,” he said.

Mr Austin said conflict with China was not “imminent or inevitable”, and the US was working with its partners to ensure “greater stability and security”.