US-Australia relations: Elevating the alliance.

As the leading strategic forum between the two countries, AUSMIN guides the development of the US-Australia alliance and partnership to build an Indo- Pacific region that Washington and Canberra describe as “peaceful, stable and prosperous”.

In that direction, US-Australia relations have expanded into many areas, from economics and defense to climate change, clean energy, space, and critical minerals… The scope of cooperation spans across the Asia-Pacific region.

Although not explicitly stated, it is widely understood that the increasingly close alliance between Washington and Canberra is aimed at containing China. To counter Beijing's rise, the US seeks to forge closer ties with allies, and Australia is a crucial regional partner, especially in the defense and security sector.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the US is willing to share technology to build eight nuclear-powered submarines for Australia through the trilateral security agreement (AUKUS) involving the US, UK, and Australia.

With the results achieved at AUSMIN 34, US-Australia cooperation will be taken to an even higher level. First, the US will increase its aircraft presence, especially bombers, in Australia. A facility housing six US B-52 strategic bombers will be built at Tindal Air Base in northern Australia.

The US has also granted Australia permission to manufacture guided multiple rocket launcher systems (GMLRS), with the first shipments scheduled for 2025. Prior to this, a memorandum of understanding on the “production, maintenance and development” of precision strike missiles (PrSM) was signed by both sides last December.

With these deterrence tools, the U.S. is sharing the burden with its Pacific allies in containing China.