Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on June 17 that the US Marine Corps building reserves ready for crisis situations in Australia is part of the increasing US presence in this country, and is also of great significance to Australia's national security.
According to bidding documents quoted by AFP, the US Marine Corps for the first time included Australia in the global pre-deployment program of weapons, ammunition and military vehicles. An initial reserve located in Melbourne will be transferred to US warehouses at Bandiana military base in Victoria.
Speaking in Western Australia, Mr. Richard Marles emphasized that the increasing presence of the US contributes to enhancing Australia's military capabilities and strengthening national security. According to him, the US logistics imprint is part of Washington's overall force arrangement on mainland Australia.
Mr. Marles said that Bandiana is a logistical support location for the Australian Defence Forces, so it is reasonable for the US to deploy logistical operations here.
Australia does not allow foreign military bases to operate in its territory, but it still receives US Marines to participate in six-month annual exercises in the city of Darwin in the north of the country.
According to the plan, a rotating submarine force commanded by the US will be deployed to Western Australia next year.
The Australian Defense Minister said that the significant US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region plays a balanced role in the process of strengthening China's military capabilities, which he described as very large.
Previously, the US military left military trucks at Bandiana base after a joint exercise with Australia in 2023 as a test operation for the pre-deployment of military equipment. This exercise is held every two years.
AFP also said that a private storage facility of the US Marine Corps in Australia is expected to reach full capacity by 2028. A global defense contractor will use about 110 engineers and experts at this facility.
A spokesman for the US Marine Corps Command in the Pacific said that the facility in Australia will support equipment and supplies to serve operations as well as exercises of this force throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, the US Navy has allocated 30 million USD to build warehouses and offices in Victoria next year.
