“The shift which we need to see is from viewing AUKUS as defence policy, to viewing it as nation-building policy – or even economic future-proofing policy,” Bran Black, Business Council of Australia CEO, was quoted as saying at the end of an article about this continent becoming a “central base” of US military operations in the Indo Pacific.

The main thrust of the piece in the Weekend Australian was an exclusive conversation that the Murdoch press had with US Republican congressman Michael McCaul, who waxed lyrical about the opportunities that the tearing down of military trade barriers that the Albanese government has recently partaken in brings in terms of a deterrence upon China and the lead up to World War III.

Indeed, during his 10-day visit to this country, McCaul, the chair of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs announced that the Biden administration had granted defence trade exemptions from the US for us, which means it has relaxed its International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) red tape.

“I am pleased the administration has finally provided the long overdue defence trade exemption to two of our closest allies, Australia” and the UK, a 15 August statement outlines. But the US politician then laments that the reforms have not completely abolished “big government regulation”, which will continue to “hamper” deterrence capabilities in the Indo Pacific.

“Darwin is the… epicentre of the organisation projecting power through the South China Sea to China,” McCaul told Sky News, following a visit to the Northern Territory capital last week. “And getting these alliances there sends a very strong message to Chairman Xi, that the risk outweighs the reward.”

The US will increase rotations of its air, land and sea forces to Australia and has condemned China’s “dangerous and coercive actions” across the Indo-Pacific region.

As part of the step-up in defence ties, the US plans to preposition munitions and fuel in Australia to support its military forces.

Airfields in northern Australia are set to be upgraded to enable rotations of US aircraft.

Defence secretary also pledges to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines ‘as quickly as possible’ at annual high-level talks.

Austin said the US would “increase rotations of our air, land and sea forces” to Australia as the two countries were “determined to be a force for stability” in the region.

“That includes rotations of bomber task forces, fighters and future rotations of US navy and US army capabilities,” Austin said, adding that the specific details would be worked out by officials and announced at a later date.

The UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, will join Marles and Austin for a first meeting of the Aukus defence ministers on Thursday.

American submarines will visit Australia more regularly but Defence Minister Richard Marles has rejected basing them down under to bolster our defences until our nuclear-powered boats hit the water.

Mr Marles is planning to use this week’s first meeting of AUKUS defence ministers to lock in the key planks of Australia’s nuclear submarine plan before it is unveiled early next year.

But he said home-porting US submarines in Australia was “not the answer” to covering any capability gap that emerged before our boats were in service.

This week’s AUSMIN meeting between Australian and US defence and foreign affairs ministers is also likely to lock in an expanded US Marine rotation in Darwin, and potentially the deployment of more US aircraft including nuclear-capable B-52 bombers.

The government will not say exactly what it has considered or proposed to Defence, but says it is reviewing the Northern Territory's "suitability and readiness" as plans for the nuclear-powered submarine fleet progress.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison was asked whether the deployment would put the Northern Territory at greater risk from potential adversaries.

She said the territory had "a very long and proud defence history" and listed the upgrades and new construction of new facilities currently underway in the Top End.

"I think territorians are very comfortable with that, they understand our strategic location and generally are very supportive of that defence investment," she said.

To help maximise defence investment in the Top End, Labor created the Canberra-based position of Defence and National Security Advocate to lobby government and industry on the Northern Territory's behalf.

The current advocate, defence analyst Alan Dupont, has previously argued for a Nothern Territory role in the transition to nuclear boats, which may not be ready before Australia's current conventional fleet needs replacing.

a Defence spokesperson said "the development of maritime services and support in Darwin harbour" was covered in "regular, productive discussions with the Northern Territory government on a range of initiatives".

An 18-month joint study with the US and the UK is due to be completed by early next year, but staffers from a high-powered US Senate committee have been visiting Australia for talks this week.

Newly tabled responses to Senate questions on notice show the nuclear-powered submarine taskforce has an approved budget of $120m for the 2021-22 financial year and $180m for 2022-23.

That would include funding for technical studies and travel. It would also cover contributions to other government entities which are supporting the taskforce, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and nuclear agencies Ansto and Arpansa.

costs of actually building the submarines are yet to be allocated in the budget