Defence chiefs back boosting US military presence in Australia
The United States and Australia have agreed to increase their military cooperation and presence in response to China's regional military expansion. The partnership will focus on logistics, joint exercises, and the development of next-generation defense capabilities.
Why it matters
This strengthening of the US-Australia alliance is a strategic move to maintain a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region amid rising geopolitical tensions with China.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with his Australian counterpart in Washington today. Photo / Getty Images via AFP
Washington and Canberra have agreed to boost the US military presence in Australia and speed up co-operation, both countries say.
Wary of China’s unprecedented military build-up, US ally Australia has reshaped its defence force in recent years to focus on its missile-strike capability and deterring would-be foes from its northern approaches.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Canberra understood “the gravity of maintaining a favourable balance of power in the region” as he met with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Washington today.
The two “agreed to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases, bolster co-operation in combined logistics, and build greater interoperability through joint exercises”, the Pentagon said.
“They also discussed progress on defence industrial co-operation to enable shared capacity for guided weapons and next-generation capabilities.”
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