TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Australia to upgrade military bases, expand wargames with US
An airstrip in the Northern Territory will be lengthened to support larger aircraft, firing ranges overhauled and new training facilities set up for defence personnel and US marines, The Australian newspaper reported.
Change Size
Australian Army soldiers fire a Javelin anti-tank missile during Excercise Chong Ju, a live fire demonstration showcasing the army's joint combined arms capabilities at the Puckapunyal Military Base some 100 kilometres north of Melbourne on May 9, 2019. (AFP/William West)
A
ustralia will unveil a A$747 million ($580 million) defense package on Wednesday to upgrade four military bases in its north and expand war games with the United States, The Australian newspaper reported.
An airstrip in the Northern Territory will be lengthened to support larger aircraft, firing ranges overhauled and new training facilities set up for defence personnel and US marines, The Australian newspaper reported.
"Working with the United States, our allies and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia's interests by investing in the Australian Defence Force," Prime Minister Scott Morrison was quoted as saying in the report.
The prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One of Australia's most senior security officials earlier this week said that liberal democracies must brace for war.
Home Affairs Department Secretary Mike Pezzullo did not specify the catalyst for his warning but it follows a sharp deterioration in Australia's relationship with China and a rise in regional tensions over Taiwan.
Diplomatic relations between Australia and China have worsened since Canberra called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, prompting trade reprisals from Beijing.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton on Sunday said a conflict involving China over Taiwan "should not be discounted".
