Just
what we need! - to bring global conflicts into this part of the
world.
US
eyes Perth naval base
THE
United States could base a US aircraft carrier and supporting fleet
in Perth, under plans to be presented to Congress today.
SMH,
2
August, 2012
The
proposal is one of four options set out in a report by the Centre for
Strategic and International Studies commissioned by the US Defence
Department.
The
centre was directed to consider how the US military could undertake
the so-called “pivot” in the Asia-Pacific region announced by
President Barack Obama last year in response to China’s increasing
influence.
Chinese
analysts immediately identified the plan as likely to antagonise
China, saying it would confirm suspicions of an effort to contain it.
Such a move would raise the temptation for China to use its huge
economic leverage to retaliate, they said.
“It
would be interpreted within China as another move to encircle China,”
said Sun Zhe, the director of Tsinghua University’s Centre for
China-US Relations.
Song
Xiaojun, editor of Naval and Merchant Ships magazine, said Australia
would be unlikely to proceed with the proposal after it weighed
security gains against export losses.
“Do
they think China one day will invade Australia and rob its iron ore?
said Song, formerly an analyst with a People’s Liberation Army
academy.
The
strike group would include a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a
carrier air wing of up to nine squadrons, one or two guided-missile
cruisers, two or three guided-missile destroyers, one or two
nuclear-powered submarines and a supply ship.
The
report also suggests that the US could consider building facilities
to support “bombers and other aircraft”.
“Australia‘s
geography, political stability and existing defence capabilities and
infrastructure offer ... significant military advantages to the
United States in light of the growing range of Chinese weapons
systems,’’ it says. “HMAS Stirling offers advantages including
direct blue water access to the Indian Ocean ... submarine facilities
including a heavyweight torpedo maintenance centre and the only
submarine escape training facility in the southern hemisphere.’’
The
report also notes the naval base offers ‘‘expanded surface ship
facilities, including potentially a dock capable of supporting
aircraft carriers”.
The
document — which includes advice from Andrew Shearer, foreign
policy adviser to former prime minister John Howard — provides the
greatest detail yet about exactly how the United States sees its new
role in the Asia-Pacific and Australia.
Defence
Minister Stephen Smith said in a speech in Canberra last night that
Australia would look at an increased US presence at HMAS Stirling.
‘‘For
Australia, this presence will support our long-held strategic
interests in maintaining and expanding US engagement in our region.’’
He
reasserted the need for a strong alliance with the US, as it had
underwritten stability in the region for the past half-century ‘‘and
will continue to be the single most important strategic actor in our
region for the foreseeable future’’.
Responding
to a question, the minister said: ‘‘The US does not have a base
in Australia and this will not change’’.
Mr
Smith insists that the Northern Territory military base through which
up to 2500 US marines rotate for training each year is not a US base.
The report is believed to moot the possibility of increasing that
number.
West
Australian Premier Colin Barnett dismissed the notion of such
extensive US forces at Stirling.
‘‘I
don’t think there’s any possibility of that happening,’’ he
said.
‘‘I
don’t think you could squeeze a nuclear aircraft carrier into
Cockburn Sound.’’
The
Greens reacted negatively. ‘‘The risks of routinely floating
nuclear reactors in and out of Cockburn Sound shouldn’t be
underestimated,’’ West Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlam
said.
‘‘Western
Australian police and emergency services personnel are completely
under-resourced to cope with even a minor reactor leak.’’
The
head of a Canberra think tank also rejected the idea, though for
different and multiple reasons.
Peter
Jennings, a former deputy defence secretary and now the executive
director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the idea
was unrealistic, citing the cost — anywhere between between $US1
billion and $US6.7 billion — as prohibitive in the context of deep
US defence budget cuts.
What
was likely, however, was more US naval ship visits to Stirling, he
said.
Authors
of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies report were
scheduled to give testimony before the US Congress Armed Services
Committee overnight, Melbourne time.
The
report notes: “Australia is unique among America‘s allies in
having fought alongside the United States in every major conflict
since the start of the 20th century.”
While
Perth was a long way away from some strategically important areas,
the report says the West Australian capital’s location could also
be a benefit because it was beyond the increasing range of China’s
defences.
A
spokesman for the centre said the think-tank was unable to comment on
the report until after some of its authors had testified before the
Senate committee.
The
Armed Services Committee’s chairman, Senator Carl Levin, said he
agreed with comments made by Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta that
‘‘efforts to strengthen alliances and partnerships in the
Asia-Pacific to advance a common security vision for the future are
essential to the US strategy to rebalance toward the region’’.
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