The United States military and American defense contractors have secured access to 110 military facilities across Australia, accounting for more than half of the country’s defense infrastructure, according to a study by the Nautilus Institute.
Data compiled by the California-based think tank indicates that the U.S. military directly controls 17 facilities on the Australian mainland and holds operational access to 75 sites operated by the Australian Defence Force. Additionally, U.S. defense companies maintain access to a further 18 facilities.
The designated sites support a wide spectrum of military operations, including signals intelligence gathering, satellite data downlinks, communications interception, joint operational training, and strategic logistics hubs for weapons, ammunition, and fuel storage. Among the most critical installations is the joint U.S.-Australian defense facility at Pine Gap, which hosts ground control infrastructure for signals intelligence (SIGINT) satellites and relay stations for early-warning missile detection networks.
U.S. access is facilitated under bilateral force posture agreements designed to allow rotational deployments, joint exercises, and allied interoperability while formally respecting Australian sovereignty.
The U.S. operational presence is scheduled to expand further in the coming year, particularly at the HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island in Western Australia. Up to 1,200 U.S. personnel are slated to rotate through the facility to support allied naval activities and rotational submarine deployments under the trilateral AUKUS security partnership.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that the U.S. military posture in Australia continues to grow, stating that the expanded presence and bilateral defense cooperation remain essential to the country’s long-term national security strategy.
AA