Australia and the US are in talks to deepen their military co-­operation, with plans for new ­exercises on Australian soil ­including joint training with American army soldiers.

The proposed exercises with the US army would be modelled on the annual rotation of Marines through Darwin, and use a variety of military training areas including those in Queensland.

The Morrison and Biden ­administrations are also in the midst of delicate negotiations to build guided missiles in Australia using top-secret US technology, and store US weapons and equipment at Top End bases.

Australia could soon be hosting more US marines and warships with Defence Minister Peter Dutton declaring he wants even greater military cooperation with our closest ally.

Senior officials from both nations are discussing options for expanded military cooperation, which the ABC has learnt include a proposal to form a new joint US marines and ADF training brigade based in Darwin.

If established, the joint brigade would be the first of its kind for Australia and would likely involve a rotating command with the United States.

Mr Dutton agreed there was scope to increase the size of the US marine rotational force in the Top End from its pre-COVID level of 2,500, and to base US navy vessels at HMAS Stirling near Perth. acting US ambassador Michael Goldman declined to comment on whether more American marines could soon be heading to Australia.

THE United States’ combat logistics support agency is moving on plans for a multimillion dollar fuel farm facility in Darwin for its fighter jets and warships.

The fuel reserve is being established in Darwin to ensure US war machines are not left stranded if fuel supply lines are disrupted.

DLA Energy is seeking information on “industry capabilities/interest/potential sources for the receipt, storage, and issue 1.2 million barrels of aviation turbine fuel, grade JP5 (fill capacity), and 700,000 barrels of commercial jet fuel, grade jet A-1 (fill capacity), in the Port of Darwin, Australia.”

It also seeks information from interested companies on their service capabilities for receiving and shipping US government-owned product via an ocean-going tanker or barge on a 24-hour per day, seven-day per week basis.

The Department of Defence has been busy denying that it may develop a naval port at Glyde Point, 40km northeast of Darwin. It doesn’t deny that the territory government may be encouraged to build one itself. Wink, wink.

If Australia is keen to ensure that the US remains engaged in the region (and dedicated to Australia’s defence), nothing says commitment like infrastructure.

The most attractive feature of building a naval port at Glyde Point may be its future use by the RAN itself. China has announced plans to build a “fishery industrial park” at Daru on the south coast of Papua New Guinea. With no fish in the water but Australia within sight, the planned facility presumably is aimed at threatening the Torres Strait.

"no American ally is potentially more important than"

When Australia negotiated the US Marine Corps’ ‘rotational presence’ operating out of Darwin, the plan agreed with Barack Obama in 2010 was ultimately to locate some major US warships at the Australian navy base HMAS Stirling, near Perth.

The NT government has suitable locations for large- scale development of the type needed. And if the federal government was willing also to bear some of the cost of hosting these ships, the proposal becomes more compelling.

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