The United States plans to deploy six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers near Darwin as part of a strategy experts say would dissuade China from invading Taiwan but increase the chance of Australia being drawn into a conflict, APA reports citing ABC.
While the aircraft has been used in training exercises in Australia for decades, ABC’s Four Corners reported the US is planning to build dedicated facilities for up to six B-52 bombers at the Tindal air base, south of Darwin, for use during the Northern Territory dry season.
The planned “squadron operations facility” is expected to cost around US$100 million.
The US Air Force told the program: “The ability to deploy US Air Force bombers to Australia sends a strong message to adversaries about our ability to project lethal air power ... the RAAF’s ability to host USAF bombers, as well as train alongside them, demonstrates how integrated our two air forces are.”
The move would represent an important deepening of US-Australia military ties, according to Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and also increase the likelihood of Australian involvement in a conflict over Taiwan.
“It’s a very sensible move on Australia’s part to strengthen integrated deterrence as a way to dissuade China from making a move on Taiwan,” he said.
“If you want to avoid a war, you have to present a united front against China rather than suggest Australia would stay out of the war.”
Davis said the US military bases on Guam and the Japanese island of Okinawa would be extremely vulnerable to Chinese attacks if a war broke out over Taiwan.
It would be far more difficult for Beijing to launch attacks on US aircraft based in Darwin, he said.
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