The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war?

Exclusive: US-controlled weapons corporations and forces have control or access to more than 100 facilities across the continent, which some analysts describe as a ‘colonisation’ of Australia’s military. Find a map of them here US military interests control or have access to more than 100 defence facilities on Australian soil, in what some analysts describe as a “saturation” – even a “colonisation” – of the Australian continent. New data compiled by the Nautilus Institute and published by Guardian Australia maps the extent of US militarisation. The US military controls 17 facilities on mainland Australia and has access to 75 more Australian-run military installations. US defence corporations have access to an additional 18. Gathering intelligence, accessing satellite data for targeting information and communications intercepts. Training, including for 2,500 marines on dry-season rotation in the Northern Territory. Pre-positioning warfighting assets such as Osprey aircraft. Logistics hubs holding weapons, munitions and fuel, stored in case of a war in the Pacific. Continue reading...