US bid for expanded Perth base

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

US bid for expanded Perth base
NICK O'MALLEY
Last updated 19:52 01/08/2012

A report for the US military contains a recommendation to expand America's defence presence in Australia by massively expanding a base in Perth for a US aircraft carrier and supporting fleet.

The plan is included as part of one of four options set out in a report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), commissioned by the Department of Defence.

The report's authors will give testimony before Congress's Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in the US.

The CSIS was directed to consider how the US military could undertake the "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region announced by President Barack Obama last year in response to China's increasing influence.

The third option in the report - formally titled US Force Posture Strategy in the Asia Pacific Region: An Independent Assessment - details moving a US carrier strike group to the HMAS Stirling base in Perth.




Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/7395399/

[Selatius]

1. Yes, let's drag Australia into a possible world war between China and the US.

Since the US seems so hell-bent on encircling all of China with military bases, I'm sure the Chinese will eventually respond with a military build-up of its own of some kind and begin building weapons targeting those bases, including in Australia.

[Sherman A1]

2. This appears to be a response to the ongoing

Spratley Island issue between Vietnam, China & The Philippines, but I am just guessing a bit.

[think]

3. By all means let's keep expanding our military at any cost

US bid for expanded Perth base
.....

"HMAS Stirling is not nuclear carrier-capable," the report says. "This forward-basing option would require significant construction costs. Comparable cost estimates in the past have ranged from $1 billion to create a nuclear-capable homeport for a carrier at Mayport in Florida to $6.5 billion for similar capability in Guam." ....

From the article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/7395399/

We can afford it. Just cut out all that unnecessary socialism like programs for the poor and we can afford to help those poor multinational corporations protect our outsourced jobs....