from ap-perspective.blogspot.com: Australia will host two United States space surveillance systems as part
of closer military ties agreed to at a bilateral security summit
yesterday.
engagements agreed on at an annual summit attended by US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and their
Australian counterparts.
Exmouth.
to relocate a Space Surveillance Telescope from New Mexico to an as-yet
undecided location in Western Australia.
identification of objects in space such as satellites and debris. The
radar will be delivered in 2014 at the site of a former US Navy
communications base.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Mr Smith, the US and Australia
also agreed to hold joint military exercises with Japan and to boost defense relations with China. The ministers also called on China to increase military transparency, according to the statement.
Related:
U.S. missile system expansion in Asia-Pacific angers China
Australia backs security pact with U.S. and India
On Tuesday, Mrs Clinton encouraged Australia to increase its military
ties with India, but added that America also supports the peaceful rise
of Asian economic powerhouse China.
She said that the US had made a strategic priority of supporting India in playing a larger role in Asian affairs.
"It's also important to see the burgeoning relationship between
Australia and India,"
she said. "We would welcome joint Australia-Indian
naval vessel exercises in the future."
The US also supports a peaceful and open China, she added.
The US and Australia also want to increase US military access to
the Australian navy base south of Perth and to bombing ranges in the
northern Outback as part of the shift of US might to the Asia-Pacific
region.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the summit will
discuss medium-term plans for co-operation on military aviation as well
as warships.
December 11, 2019
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