ABSTRACT
Australia has faithfully joined the United States in most of its combat operations since the end of the Second World War, including Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. China’s ascent has fundamentally shifted the balance of power in the region. There is an abundant literature on the causes and consequence of the extraordinary growth of China’s military power. As a middle power, Australia’s ability to single-handedly counter China’s expansive power and ambitions in the Indo-Pacific Arc is severely limited. James Holmes, a strategist at the US Navy War College, would agree with this concept and an even more aggressive US basing in Australia. Australia has several ways in which it could contribute to support the alliance’s logistics, sustainment ‘tail’. The Australian shipbuilder, Austral, has recently announced that it is has been approved by the US to have its shipyards in Australia bid for and provide services to USN and MSC ships.
