The Pentagon wants a new hub for B-52 bombers amid tensions with China.
The US military has devised a plan which would see nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bombers deployed in Australia on long-term rotational missions, and turn the country’s Northern Territory into a crucial military hub in Washington’s standoff with Beijing, the national broadcaster reported on Monday.
The Pentagon reportedly seeks to build a “squadron operations facility,” which would include a maintenance center and enough parking area for six B-52s at the Royal Australian Air Force military air base Tindal, according to ABC’s Four Corners investigative program.
The air base expansion could cost up to $100 million and is expected to be finished in late 2026. The new facilities are “required to support strategic operations and to run multiple 15-day training exercises during the Northern Territory dry season for deployed B-52 squadrons,” the report said, citing US documents.
An “enhanced air cooperation” between Australia and the US was discussed during last year’s AUSMIN ministerial meetings, but while the sides agreed on “rotational deployment of US aircraft of all types,” there was no official confirmation of plans to deploy B-52s at Tindal.
“The ability to deploy US Air Force bombers to Australia sends a strong message to adversaries about our ability to project lethal air power,” the US Air Force reportedly told the program.
Washington’s build-up of its military assets is not limited to Tindal. The US is currently constructing a massive $270 million jet fuel storage facility on the outskirts of Darwin, some 200 miles from the airbase. At the same time, a joint US and Australian spy base Pine Gap near Alice Springs is reportedly undergoing a “major upgrade.”
Back in 2021, the US, Australia, and UK announced the creation of a new security pact AUKUS, which envisages providing Canberra with conventionally-armed and nuclear-powered submarines, thus significantly boosting its naval capabilities.
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While AUKUS members claim that the pact is merely aimed at protecting the international system that respects human rights and the rule of law, China has slammed the alliance, arguing that its projects pose grave risks to nuclear security.
This view has to some extent been echoed by Russia. In August, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned that AUKUS could “detonate” the entire Asia-Pacific region, since the pact has the makings of becoming “a military-political alliance.” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, however, dismissed the notion, saying that Washington is not seeking to set up “an Asian NATO.”
Just what we need, nuclear weapons in our own backyard. Soon they will be dropping them off at Ohakea as backup supply. Now watch New Zealand property prices head to the basement as our desirability hits rock bottom. Any idea of New Zealand being a safe harbour is now heading into the sunset with its arse on fire.
Thanks for nothing, Brandon..!
Agents Jacinda and Luxon will not let us remain neutral like Switzerland.
NZ is no longer a soveriegn country.
Xi was not a bold leader. China has to manufacture and deploy about 10,000 nukes on an urgent basis matching what US has got. You can never appease a bully and expect a fair treatment. It is going to get worse. Having nukes can only create a full balance and stop the bully. US/UK/EU countries are terrorist states in reality exploiting resources of other countries and citizens of their own. This is is because the power is with the Globlaist rich who does not pay proper taxes, hide their welath in island countries, live is yachts etc. They will not hesitate to nuke if they think they can win. Countries in middle east, africa, latin america are bullied, regimes changed when they protest economic exploitation. So a country that is weak in defense becomes very vulnerable to globalist exploitation.
“This is a dangerous escalation. It makes Australia an even bigger part of the global nuclear weapons threat to humanity’s very existence – and by rising military tensions it further destabilises our region,”
Senator David Shoebridge.
We could have such a wonderful, healthy, collaborative world, and it’s being flushed down the toilet because an empire is using its leverage over the wealthiest populations on our planet to work toward dominating all the other populations. This stupid, insane quest to shore up unipolar planetary domination is costing us everything while gaining us nothing, and it’s going to be the poorest and weakest among us who suffer the most as a result.
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/10/31/new-study-finds-the-rest-of-the-world-supports-china-and-russia/
NZ government: this is fine ???? ????