Hegseth and Marles agree to speed up US force posture work at Australian air bases
Meeting in Cebu, the US and Australian defence chiefs also backed missile co-production, while Marles said AUKUS submarines remain on track for around 2030.
TAIPEI —
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, agreed on 27 October that the two allies need to move quickly on their force posture collaboration, including investment at Australian air force bases and in combined logistics capacity. The pair met on the margins of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Cebu, in the central Philippines, according to a Pentagon readout released late that day.
The readout said the two ministers also talked about better coordinating the American and Australian approaches to regional deterrence and about strategies to preserve a favourable balance of power in the Pacific. It added that both noted the continuing work to advance the trilateral AUKUS security partnership with Britain, as well as efforts to co-produce critical munitions under Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise. The statement did not name the air bases involved, put a figure on the investment or set out a timetable.
Submarines on track, Marles says
In an interview with Reuters in Cebu on 28 October, Marles said Australia remained on track to acquire its first nuclear-powered submarine from the United States. He said Australia expects to start receiving Virginia-class boats under the AUKUS submarine arrangement from around 2030, and that Canberra was working at pace on what he called the optimal pathway to a nuclear-powered submarine capability.
Marles described the alliance with Washington as being as important now as it has ever been, Reuters reported. The news agency noted that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in August that the pact was proceeding at full steam.
No move on Chinese electric cars at bases
Marles also told Reuters that Australia has not taken any step to restrict Chinese-made electric vehicles at its military bases. His comments came after the US military last week barred BYD vehicles from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, saying the cars posed an unacceptable risk that could not be mitigated.
According to the same report, Marles said Australia keeps monitoring safety around its bases in every respect but has not gone as far as a ban, and that the United States had not asked Canberra to follow its lead. Reuters pointed out that Australia is one of BYD's largest export markets, together with Brazil and Britain, helped by relatively low trade barriers.
A crowded week in Cebu
Before leaving for the Philippines, Marles's office said he would represent Australia at the 13th ADMM-Plus and meet counterparts from across the Indo-Pacific on 28 and 29 October. The release said he would also hold smaller minilateral meetings with partners on maritime security, defence infrastructure, cyber security, and training and exercises, and it described ASEAN as central to Australia's vision for the region.
Sources
More in Indo-Pacific
Hegseth proposes a new US-ASEAN defence cooperation framework at talks in Cebu
The US defence chief gave no details but said Washington is ready to start the work when Singapore chairs the ADMM-Plus next year, and he urged closer naval cooperation.
TaiwanDefence · 1h ago · 2 min read
India and US defence chiefs review their 10-year framework a year on, meeting in Cebu
Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth used the ADMM-Plus sidelines to check progress on military technology, information sharing and co-production, then Singh met Australia's Marles.
TaiwanDefence · 2h ago · 2 min read
US Army Pacific chief says his command still plans around a possible 2027 move on Taiwan
Gen. Ronald Clark told a Honolulu conference the Davidson window still guides US Army Pacific, and said a new allied network linked US, Japanese and Australian fires.
TaiwanDefence · 4h ago · 3 min read
Discussion (0)
Comments are not currently available.