"if we're going to have this close friendship going forward, it's really important to understand exactly what that means."
Set against the backdrop of growing regional tension, major work is being carried out to defence facilities across Australia and a significant portion falls under the umbrella of the US Force Posture Initiative.
The most recent additions to the overarching USFPI occurred in 2023 with the signing of an Enhanced Space Cooperation agreement, together with a commitment to conducting more regular and longer-duration visits of US Navy nuclear submarines, and increased rotations of US Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Looking to the future, the most recent round of bilateral discussions (AUSMIN 24) agreed to progress the redevelopment of northern air bases – primarily Darwin and Tindal – but to begin scoping the RAAF’s bare bases across the north of the country in the form of RAAF Curtin and Learmonth in Western Australia, and Scherger in Queensland.
The upcoming AUSMIN 25 dialogue will further outline steps to enhance the FPI and grow the defence infrastructure footprint across the country. It will lead to a number of announcements in regard to the next steps in force posture activities within Australia.

Talisman Sabre, Australia’s largest military exercise since World War II, will involve participation from 19 nations.
"Today we are announcing that there will be regular deployments of Japan's amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to Australia," Mr Marles said at a televised press conference in Darwin.
The Darwin jury declared in a unanimous verdict that Mr Long was not guilty to the single charge of having sexual intercourse without consent.
Over the three-day hearing, the jury heard the then 24-year-old had sex with a woman following a boozy pub crawl in Mitchell St in late 2023.
The jury heard the next day the hungover woman initially rejected his sexual advances as she was feeling sick.
However five minutes later, Mr Long again initiated foreplay and they then had sex.
Mr Long rejected the accusation that he was reckless, stating: “It was definitely consensual”.
“Her body language was showing it time and time again,” he said.
Defence Barrister Peter Maley accused the woman of “retrospectively withdrawing consent” saying she had “gone into victim mode”.