B-1 supersonic bombers coming to the north after all

It seems we will probably be hosting some American B-1 supersonic precision bombers after all.

Tindal RAAF base.

It seems we will probably be hosting some American B-1 supersonic precision bombers after all.

Canberra and Washington are in negotiations about who pays what for extensions to the runway at the Tindal air base in the Northern Territory.

One of the main purposes of extending the runway at the base, near Katherine, is so that the B-1 bomber can use it.

US Assistant Secretary of Defence David Shear created controversy last week when he said in congressional testimony that the US planned to “move” B-1 bombers to Australia as part of its response to China building military runways on disputed territories and reclaimed land in the South China Sea.

When asked about the comments, Tony Abbott said Mr Shear had “misspoken” and there were no plans for the US to base B-1 bombers in Australia. The US embassy in Australia and the Pentagon in Washington also issued statements saying that Mr Shear’s testimony was wrong. The Prime Minister was right to correct Mr Shear. His testimony was wrong on three points.

First, by saying that the US would “move” B-1 bombers to Australia, he gave the impression that they would be based in Australia.

There are no American forces based in Australia. A range of American forces rotate in and out of northern Australia, which is not the same as being based there.

Second, no formal agreement about rotating B-1 bombers had been made between Canberra and Washington and it was absurd for Mr Shear to announce, or even prefigure, something not yet agreed.

And third, both the Australian and US governments have refused to explicitly link US force rotations through northern Australia with any plan to counter China militarily, much less to specific moves responding to the increased Chinese presence in the South China Sea.

There have, however, been discussions about rotating B-1 bombers through northern Australia. The Abbott government has no in-principle objection to the presence of B-1 bombers, and many well-informed observers regard their eventual presence in Australia as all but inevitable.

The problems the government had with the Shear testimony were about the implication of basing planes in Australia, and connecting the rotations explicitly to China.

Because of Mr Shear’s foolish, ill-advised and unco-ordinated testimony, so characteristic of the Obama administration’s mishandling of its allies’ sensibilities in Asia, there is now likely to be some delay in the rotation of B-1 bombers in northern Australia.

When asked by The Australian whether there would be B-1 bombers rotated through Australia, a Defence Department spokesman said: “The details of enhanced air co-operation are the subject of continuing discussion between the Australian government and the US administration.

“No decisions have yet been made, including with respect to the nature, size, location or duration of any additional aircraft co-operation activities.”

When the enhanced US force rotation decision was taken by the Gillard government and the Obama administration jointly in 2011, an increased presence of the US air force in northern Australia was explicitly announced.

Since then, US B-52 strategic bombers have frequently flown in northern Australia.

The US, as reported in The Australian at the time, first began negotiating seriously about increased access to Australia for US forces back in 2010. This program was begun under Julia Gillard, embraced by Kevin Rudd and fully supported by the Abbott government.

Mr Shear’s cack-handed words have probably slowed it down, but no more than that.