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US upgrades Australia’s northern bases amid tensions with China
STORY: From above, it’s clear to see that Tindal Air Base, set in remote shrub-land of northern Australia, was designed as a small airfield with fast jets in mind.Now, it’s buzzing with new construction.The United States has quietly begun overhauling it…… constructing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of facilities there to support B-52 bombers, F-22 stealth fighters, and refueling and transport aircraft.The expansion aims to help U.S. ally Australia project power into the South China Sea, if any crisis erupts with Beijing.The Australian government also has its own program of new projects at Tindal…… spending US$980 million on hangars, a new airport terminal, and other facilities, which are near completion.Fiona Pearce is a Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander.”What we are moving towards is a multi-purpose base so we are going to be big enough to take any aircraft in the world and to park and fly every different variant of aircraft. So there’s runway increases, fuel increases and a whole bunch of other facilities that are being worked on as well.”Australia is the top overseas location for U.S. Air Force and Navy construction spending under 2024 and 2025 U.S. Congressional Defense Authorizations, totalling over $300 million.A few hundred miles north, a base in Darwin is also being upgraded with U.S. help.Tender documents show intelligence briefing rooms, runway upgrades, warehouses and maintenance hangars are in the works. U.S. Marine Corps have routinely trained in Darwin since a 2011 agreement between Canberra and Washington.Commanding officer of the U.S. Marine Rotational Force Colonel Brian Mulvihill says that’s now evolved into a regional deterrence role of about 2,000 Marines each year, and future upgrades to RAAF Darwin aim to support specific needs of the Marines.”The United States paid to have larger fuel storage put in place at RAAF Darwin in support of our aviation assets. As well as, that’s done, and then the next project is to expand the parking apron for the MV-22 Ospreys to give them more space in and around the busy airport that is Darwin and RAAF Darwin.”While remote locations pose challenges to sourcing materials and a workforce…… Indigenous Australian residents also have complaints about the new developments.Seventy-five-year-old Tibby Quall, is among several Traditional Owners who say growing demand for defense-related housing in Darwin has led to land-clearing of forests they want protected, while rising prices have pushed Indigenous families out of the city.While U.S. and Australian officials say they can visit sacred sites on the bases…Quall says his family has no real voice on how the land is used.
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