US Military Expands Access to Australian Defense Facilities, Raising Concerns of War Involvement
The United States military and defense corporations now control or have access to over 100 defense facilities on Australian soil, representing more than half of all military installations in Australia. This extensive access includes 17 US-controlled facilities with Australian access, 75 Australian-run military installations with US access, and an additional 18 facilities accessed by US defense corporations. This expansion is detailed in new data compiled by the Nautilus Institute and published by Guardian Australia. These facilities are used for intelligence gathering, satellite data access, training, pre-positioning warfighting assets like Osprey aircraft, and serving as logistics hubs for weapons, munitions, and fuel. Some critical sites, such as Pine Gap, play significant roles in identifying targets for US strikes globally. The US military presence is expected to continue expanding, with up to 1,200 uniformed military personnel operating from the HMAS Stirling submarine base from next year. 
