US Bases in Australia
While this list is not exhaustive it does purport to show the entanglements of the Australian military in the US military. This is only to be expected after 50 years of the Australian-US military alignment. A base of the US military can be for year round occupation or for occupation of some weeks per year. The activities of the Australian military in collecting intelligence for the US can make a base which is wholly paid for and staffed by Australians a de facto US base.
A. Alice Springs
Pine Gap is really about three facilities employing 750 to 1,000 US and Australian personnel
1. a) the Singint collecting
2. b) the DSP and now star wars bases
3. c) the photographic section
4. d) the seismic station in Alice Springs itself
5. e) the town facility -see the web site. It is huge!
B. North West Cape
This base is largely in mothballs but can activated by the US at any time it deems necessary.
5. a) the communication towers
6. b) the Solar observatory run by the US airforce
C. Seismic Stations
7.Mundaring WA
8. Hobart TAS
9. Sydney NSW
10. Charters Towers Qld
11 Daly Waters NT
12. Tennant Creek
D. Weather
13. Mildura
14. There is another one near Wagga Wagga but cannot confirm.
D. Since the DSD is part of the UK/USA agreements - all these bases are part of the US system of Echelon
15. Watsonia -Melbourne -Vic
16. Geraldton -WA
17. Shoal Bay NT
18. DSD HQ Canberra
E. RAAF bases hosting outposts of the Military Airlift Command (MAC) of the US airforce are:
19. Richmond NSW
20 Learmouth WA
21 Pearce WA
22 Salisbury SA
F. Under agreements signed long ago - the Royal Australian Airforce Bases (RAAF) are to be made available to the US when required
23 RAAF Darwin
24 Williamtown NSW
25. Townsville
26. others in the north around Kimberley and Cape York
G. Maritime signals and electronic war outlets
27. Cabarlah Qld
28. Hariman ACT may have moved to Wagga NSW.
G. Australian Navy bases used frequently
29. Stirling WA
30. Sydney and Jervis Bay
H. The training the facilities frequently used by the US
31. Delamere NT bombing training range
32. Shoalwater Bay Qld - jungle training
I. The US change the nature of NASA from the civilian to the military some time ago (10 years ago)
33. Tidbinbulla ACT is a US military base - part of the US Space Command of the US airforce.
J. GPS system has the
34. Omega Station at Dariman Vic
By the way the US wanting more bases in Australia was dated 21/6/01 SMH
I do not think that the list above is exhaustive and I argue that Australian bases which are used frequently and often by the US are then de facto US bases. There is a criss crossing of agreements about the use of Australian military facilities for US purposes. The use of these bases may only be for short periods during the year but the ready provision of them for the use of the US elevates them to US bases.
All Australian military and some civilian airports and seaports are to be put at the disposal of the US military should the need arise. There agreements signed and treaties entered into to facilitate this process.
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