Sawt Falasteen - US military footprint growing in Australia: defence minister

The US Marines will include Australia in a global prepositioning programme for weapons, ammunition and vehicles for the first time, AFP reported on Tuesday, citing tender documents.

An initial stockpile in Melbourne city will move to US warehouses at Australia's Bandiana military base in rural Victoria.

"We are seeing a growing US footprint in Australia, that is important in terms of building our own military capability, but also it's very important for Australia's national security," Marles told reporters in Western Australia.

"An American logistics footprint is part of its overall force posture on the continent," he said.

"Bandiana is a place which supports logistics, support for the Australian Defence Force, and it makes sense that as America seeks to do that, it would do it at the same place," Marles added.

Australia does not permit foreign military bases on its soil, but hosts US Marines for exercises for six months of the year in the northern city of Darwin.

A rotating force of US-commanded submarines will arrive in Western Australia next year.

Marles said the "hugely significant American presence" in the Asia Pacific was a balance to China's "very significant military build up".

The US Army left trucks at Bandiana in 2023 after war games with Australia, held every two years, as a trial of prepositioning US military equipment.

AFP reported a separate US Marines store in Australia is expected to reach full capacity by 2028, with a global defence contractor employing around 110 engineers and specialists.

A US Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesperson said the Australian facility will support equipment and supplies for marines operations and exercises across the Indo Pacific.

The US Navy has allocated $30 million to build warehouses and offices in Victoria state next year.

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST