US to expand military presence in Australia after Marles-Hegseth talks

Australia says the United States will further expand its military presence on Australian soil after talks in Washington between Defence Minister Richard Marles and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The planned growth would add to an already established American footprint that includes Marine rotations through Darwin and Submarine Rotational Force-West at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. Marles said more details are expected in the coming months, with further announcements likely when Australian and US ministers meet again at AUSMIN.

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The meeting in Washington focused on what both sides described as US "force posture" in Australia. According to the information released after the talks, the Pentagon said it intends to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases. Marles said the two governments had discussed an expansion of the US presence on Australian military bases, and he linked the move to deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

He said the growing American presence was in Australia's national interest. The existing arrangement already gives the United States a significant military role in Australia. US Marines rotate through Darwin each year, while Submarine Rotational Force-West has been established at HMAS Stirling near Perth.

About 1,000 US Navy personnel are set to be based at HMAS Stirling from next year to support American Virginia-class submarines operating from the base. That planned increase suggests the expansion is not only symbolic, but tied to long-term operational support and logistics. The development matters because Australia is a key partner in the US strategy for the Indo-Pacific.

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A larger American presence on Australian bases would deepen military integration between the two countries at a time of heightened focus on regional deterrence. It also points to a broader effort to strengthen access, readiness and cooperation across northern and western Australia, where defence planners have long viewed geography as strategically important. The announcement comes as both governments continue to frame their alliance in terms of peace and stability in the region.

Marles said the government had seen a "through-line" of growing American force in Australia since it came to power. He said the aim was to provide deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and support peace and stability there. The comments indicate that the expansion is being presented not as a sudden shift, but as part of a continuing policy direction.

The planned growth also suggests that the alliance is moving beyond periodic rotations toward a more embedded posture. The talks also included wider defence and industrial cooperation, according to the Pentagon's readout. That readout referred to plans to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases and suggested closer military-industrial ties, including work on guided missiles.

While the details of those arrangements were not fully set out, they point to a defence relationship that is becoming more operationally and technologically integrated. Such cooperation has implications for supply chains, base access and the long-term use of Australian facilities by US forces. Australia's northern approaches have often been discussed in defence planning as a vulnerable area, and the use of bases there has been a recurring issue in alliance discussions.

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The existing Marine rotations through Darwin and the submarine rotation in Western Australia already show how the US has been increasing its presence over time. The planned basing of US Navy personnel at HMAS Stirling from next year adds another layer to that posture. Together, these steps indicate a gradual but clear expansion of the alliance's military footprint.

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