Posted by BMJ
(here)
Island Fortress Australia
During WW2 Australia was the jump off point into the Pacific for all allied nations in the fight against Japan, and it may be developed into that again as a precautionary measure.
Now with a war with Russia being a nothing burger except in the cabals wet dreams I would imagine the US is going to pull out almost all it forces from Europe and relocate them to either mainland USA or Pacific Islands nations or Australia.
Even thou I know that President Trump and Putin and Chairman Xi are working together against the cabal, China is still a bit of a wild card. Because China is big and has many power players within it ranks which don't align with Xi.
I don't think think China really has the capacity and possibly the will to go to war against anyone or even take Taiwan.
Furthermore they have or will have to many domestic economic issues to worry about with a shrinking economy and the need to to find new customers to sell their products. (Hey China why not raise the wage of the chinese people so they can become your new customer base, just a thought). So this is where the focus will lay for decades I believe, that is the CCP maintaining power over a restless nation.
The "but" is that the communist regime in it s growing desperation may strike out against Taiwan, Japan, South Korea or Australia in an effort to redirect the populations focus and give reason to industry for production that is a new war.
So with that in mind the USA is preparing for the "just in case" scenario becoming a reality by redirecting its assest's to the Pacific.
B-52s Deploy for Bomber Task Force to Australia’s New BUFF Base
U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers landed at a northern Australian air base this week, a major display of the U.S. military’s ability to project force in the Pacific.
Multiple B-52s landed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal in the country’s Northern Territory on Sept. 1, according to official Air Force imagery released Sept. 3 and service officials.
The joint military-civilian airfield near the town of Katherine, which the Pentagon plans to use as a launching pad for operations in the Pacific, has undergone a $1.1 billion upgrade in recent years.
The BTF is the first time U.S. bombers have used the base since the upgrade.
That work enables it to support the deployment of a half-dozen B-52s, giving the U.S. more locations to stage bombers in the region amid China’s growing military might.
The base also houses Australian F-35A Lightning stealth fighter jets and MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted surveillance aircraft.
Australia is south of the U.S. territory of Guam, where Andersen Air Force Base serves as America’s current bomber hub in the Western Pacific. RAAF Base Tindal would give the U.S. Air Force more basing options for long-range missions in the region.
“Operating from RAAF Base Tindal marks our ability to project, sustain, and regenerate decisive airpower across an expanding extended network,” states one photo caption released by Pacific Air Forces. The deployment from the base “deepens our partnership and interoperability” and “highlights our shared commitment to regional stability, ensuring our forces remain agile and responsive in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” PACAF added in other captions.
It is unclear how long the bombers will be deployed to the region and how many aircraft are operating from Australia. The bombers hail from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Air Force Global Strike Command and the Eighth Air Force, which oversees the nation’s bomber fleet, referred questions about the deployment to Pacific Air Forces.
“These missions demonstrate seamless interoperability with our partners and bolster regional security across the region,” a PACAF spokesperson said in a short statement confirming the B-52 deployment to Australia. The spokesperson declined to provide further details, citing operational security concerns.
Multiple wargames on potential conflicts with China have highlighted the strategic and operational value of Australia’s airbases and naval facilities, said retired Col. Mark Gunzinger, a former B-52 pilot and deputy assistant secretary of defense for forces transformation and resources.
“That has been a constant in our wargames: using Australia’s multiple airfields—and not just in northern Australia but in the south too—to generate long-range bomber strikes and tanker sorties to support bomber and fighter operations,” said Gunzinger, the Director of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
“China has a limited number of very long-range ballistic missiles that can reach U.S. air forces stationed at Diego Garcia, in Australia, and other air bases that are not located along the First Island Chain.” Bombers’ longer ranges would allow them to be stationed at airfields even further from China if necessary, Gunzinger added.
Washington and Canberra are increasingly aligned under the AUKUS security pact, which also includes the United Kingdom. The agreement will give U.S. nuclear-powered subs to Australia and allow the U.S. to stage subs out of Australia starting next year. Conceived under the Biden administration, AUKUS has also been embraced by the second Trump administration.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Sept. 2 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, a mutual defense pact, during which the two defense chiefs “discussed how both nations will continue to advance the alliance and strengthen deterrence in the Pacific.”
“The Secretary noted the alignment between U.S. and Australian National Defense Strategies and also acknowledged that Canberra recognizes the gravity of maintaining a favorable balance of power in the region to ensure that both countries remain safe and prosperous,” the Pentagon said in a readout provided from the meeting. “Both leaders agreed to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases, bolster cooperation in combined logistics, and build greater interoperability through joint exercises.”
The U.S. has operated fighters and bombers from other Royal Australian Air Force bases, such as RAAF Base Amberley, and the two countries conduct the biennial Talisman Saber, one of the largest and most complex military training exercises held.
By 2030, the U.S. Navy expects some 2,300 Americans to be based in Western Australia. (As part of AUKUS)
“What we’re seeing is a real increase in U.S. posture in Australia,” said Zack Cooper, an expert on U.S. strategy in Asia and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “Sometimes it can take a really long time to build out the infrastructure, but in this case, we’re seeing the U.S. and Australia move pretty quickly on both the air and the naval side. I think it’s emblematic of the step-up in effort we’re seeing from both Canberra and Washington.”
“The U.S. needs to diversify the locations from which it can operate air and naval assets. Australia’s northern bases do that on the air side and the naval facilities in Perth are critical on the nuclear submarine side,” he added.
Equipping a base to handle large bombers with heavy payloads is no small task: runways must be long, sturdy, and adequate, with ramp space, fuel infrastructure, and safe weapons storage facilities.
“That can all drive some considerable investment in airfields, which Australia has made and continues to invest in to bolster regional deterrence,” Gunzinger said.
Link:
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-...f-base-tindal/
Below are some recent images of the BUFF's (Big Ugly Fat Fella) landing at RAAF Tindal this September.
Re: God Save Australia
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