U.S. Considering Basing Warships in Australia

The U.S. Navy is considering a plan to base warships in Australia and would like to broaden yearly maritime exercises with India to permanently include close regional allies Japan and Australia, in an expansion of security ties that could risk exacerbating strategic rivalries with China.

Visiting Australia to inspect port facilities the U.S. would like to use to support a regular Marine training presence in the northern city of Darwin, U.S. Chief of Navy Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said military officials from both countries were looking to increase maritime cooperation.

“We’re doing a study…to see what might be feasible for naval cooperation in and around Australia, which might include basing ships,” Adm. Greenert, who is one of the U.S. Navy’s most senior commanders and a military adviser to President Barack Obama , said in a lecture on security at the Australian National University in Canberra.

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