More US Bombers Heading for Australia Under Defense Pact

More American troops and military manpower will be deployed to Australia after a new strategic alliance was forged with the United States and Britain.

The centrepiece of the deal announced on Thursday involves Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and abandoning a deal with France to build a conventional fleet.

Under the arrangement, the United States will divulge its most-guarded naval nuclear secrets to Australia.

It has only done that with one other ally, the United Kingdom, in a deal that has run since 1958.

US to lift military presence in Australia

Speaking at a joint press conference after meetings between top US and Australian diplomats in Washington, Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the pact would see the two sides significantly enhance their force posture cooperation.

That will see the partners cooperate when it come to overall military disposition, strength and condition of readiness of their forces.

As a result of the pact, more US warplanes of all types, including bombers, will come to Australia, along with a larger presence of maintenance crews and military logistics personnel.

The details and inner workings of the alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, dubbed AUKUS, will be nutted out over the next 18 months.

While America’s top diplomats denied any quid pro quo, the treaty will see a far greater presence of American troops on Australian soil, as Defence Minister Peter Dutton acknowledged.

“I do have an aspiration to make sure we can increase the number of troops through the rotations, the air capability will be enhanced, a maritime capability enhanced and certainly the force posture enhanced”, Mr Dutton said.

“If that includes basing, and includes storage of different ordnances, I think that is in Australia’s best interests.”

In military speak, basing means allowing the United States to establish an enduring military presence on Australian soil.

That is just one of the options on the table to repay Australia’s all-important ally for helping counter the rise of China.

Countering rise of China 

The three-way military and technology alliance represents Australia’s most significant change of defence and strategic direction in decades and involves tearing up an agreement with France to build conventionally powered submarines.

However, the deal does not extend to nuclear weapons, only to the propulsion system, which has previously been conventional diesel-electric in Australia’s submarine classes.

France has reacted angrily to the agreement, labelling it a “stab in the back”.

The technology-sharing pact will help Australia switch to nuclear-powered submarines, in the face of rapidly developing threats in the Indo-Pacific, most notably the rise of China.

Unsurprisingly, China reacted angrily, accusing the alliance nations — Australia, the UK and US — of “severely damaging regional peace and stability.”

Mr Dutton called Beijing’s response as nothing more than a “tantrum”.

“This is not the first time we’ve seen different outbursts from China in terms of Australia’s position,” Mr Dutton said.

“We are a proud democracy in our region. We stand with our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific to ensure enduring peace and this [collaboration] makes it a safer region. That’s the reality.”

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about China’s use of economic coercion against Australia.

Mr Blinken said the US would stand with Australia against pressure from China.

“This is an unshakeable alliance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the new AUKUS alliance was well suited for countering coercion in the Indo-Pacific.

“We discussed the competition of China at a number of levels that require us to respond and to increase resilience,” she said.

“This does not mean that there are not constructive areas for engagement with China.”

Ms Payne and Mr Dutton have been on a four-nation tour to bolster economic and security relationships within the Asia-Pacific region, where tensions are rising with China.

Yesterday, Mr Blinken said their trip was an important opportunity to meet around the time of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS bilateral defence treaty.

“It is a real pleasure to welcome Marise Payne back to the State Department … [her] second visit since I’ve been here and we’ve been on the phone in meetings, on video so many times,” Mr Blinken said.

“And I think it’s just a testament to a number of things, starting with the 70th anniversary of ANZUS but, most importantly, if we look at what the United States and Australia are doing together — bilaterally, regionally, globally — this partnership has never been stronger, it’s never been more important, I think, to the well-being of all of our people.”

The security discussions are expected to continue next week when Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-17/us-raises-concerns-about-china-economic-coercion-of-australia/100469360