Encounter Beijing After 2 Times Surveillance by China: From Darwin until Diego Garcia
DC 7am / Jakarta 6pm / London 12pm / Beijing 7pm / Canberra 9pm
The British, American, Japan, and Indian governments are actively aligning elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region to uphold a rules-based order against China’s government, by the AUKUS alliance and the QUAD alliance. Opposite, China set a-long term plan to expel the U.S. (also the entire West alliance) from Diego Garcia base (UK / British Ministry of Defence facility leased to the United States Navy, location in the middle Indian Ocean) until Guam air base. With a movement across Africa to expel the West, after Sudan in April and now Niger - Mali - Burkina Faso, the Diego Garcia base to be very crucial - strategic because just around 5,000 km from Niger. Some military analysts say Diego Garcia base is “unique, lookalike top secret operation, not a regular airbase.” Theories began circulation again in 2008, after a TIME magazine exposé claimed that a secret “War on Terror” prison existed on the Diego Garcia Island from 2002–2006. It was also speculated that the prison was used as a CIA black site where detainees were held and tortured.
The U.S. military released a statement denying the claims, but several accounts from high-ranking personnel and sources claimed that prisoners of war were held and interrogated on the island.
So, the U.S. added one military base again, or enlarged an existing airbase: Darwin (RAAF Base Tindal of Katherine, Northern Territory, Darwin), just 130 hours after the 33rd AUSMIN meeting, and just after 118 hours after report that China (maybe) behind massive cyberattack in U.S. Military base in Guam.
Also, just 13 hours ago, that the two new PRC-US Navy espionage indictments are the real deal, linkage with China. Not every day you get an 18 USC 794 indictment.
So far, not yet a note or question or protest from Indonesia and or China about an enlargement airbase in Darwin. Last time Indonesia military had a linkage about Tindal base, was an air combat maneuver exercise between Indonesian Air Force F-16 and US Air Force F-15C around RAAF Base Tindal, August 19 - September 6, 2022 (around 1 year ago). Indonesian Air Force has sent six of its F-16s, including the Falcon Star eMLU variants, to Darwin to participate in Exercise with operation code or code name Pitch Black 22.
A new US Air Force "mission planning" and operations centre will be built in Darwin, as part of US$630 million in American spending across the top end over the next two to three years.
The "Squadron Operations Facility" in Darwin will add to its growing array of military assets in the north, raising fears Australia may be locked into any future military conflict between China and the US.
"The scale and speed of the US investment in Australia shows they understand the need for urgency, but unfortunately we don't seem to," says Michael Shoebridge, a director of think tank, Strategic Analysis Australia.
"This is about deterring a conflict and the best way to do that is through collective military power."
The spending plans are detailed in US budget filings and procurement documents uncovered by the ABC but have never been fully outlined by the Australian government.
It follows ABC's Four Corners program that revealed last year the US planned to build permanent facilities to support up to six, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers at the Tindal air base.
The tender documents say the Squadron Operations facility in Darwin will be used for maintenance, mission planning, intelligence and crew briefings — it is budgeted to cost US$26 million (Australian $40 million).
The US is also building a parking apron at RAAF Darwin that is expected to cost US$258 million, according to budget documents.
This latest spending push follows the US outlaying around US$270 million to build 11 giant jet fuel storage tanks near Darwin's main port.
Some of these fuel reserves were previously located at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii but are now being dispersed across the region.
The fuel storage will allow the US to run large-scale exercises and operations from Northern Australia, demonstrating how strategically important the top end has become for Washington.
“Being able to organise and deploy forces outside of the dense missile attacks that China is likely to use against places like Guam and Okinawa is part of the strategic logic,” Mr Shoebridge notes.
These upgrades are similar to those the US is funding at RAAF Tindal, south of Darwin.
The US has released detailed plans for a squadron operations facility and maintenance centre at Tindal.
"The [squadron operations] facility is required to support strategic operations and to run multiple 15-day training exercises during the NT dry season for deployed B-52 squadrons," the US tender documents say.
The aircraft parking area at Tindal will be able to accommodate six B-52 bombers and is due to be finished in late 2026.
All up, the US spending at Tindal is budgeted to cost $US130 million, not including jet fuel storage tanks and an ammunition bunker that have already been completed at the air base.
Mr Shoebridge, a former senior official at Defence, said it was "absurd" how little information about the US plans has been released by the Australian government.
"We should not have to get our information from [the] US," he says.
"A public debate needs to be enabled by information and you can't have a complete picture without knowing where the money is being spent."
Former diplomat Dr Alison Broinowski, now with the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, warns the US military build-up in Australia’s north drags this country closer to a future war with China.
“It’s just another step in the same direction — a step that the government has been taking a series of for years; accepting whatever the United States wants to place on Australian soil.”
At last month's annual AUSMIN talks, held between the foreign and defence ministers and their US counterparts, they flagged upgrades to RAAF Darwin and Tindal, but gave few details.
A joint communique expressed an "intent to rotate US Navy Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft in Australia to enhance regional maritime domain awareness, with an ambition of inviting like-minded partners to participate in the future".
"The principals affirmed their intention to continue to progress upgrades at key Australian bases in the north, including RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, supported by site surveys to scope additional upgrades at new locations, RAAF Bases Scherger and Curtin."
=========END————
Thank you, as always, for reading. If you have anything like a spark file, or master thought list (spark file sounds so much cooler), let me know how you use it in the comments below.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it.
If a friend sent this to you, you could subscribe here 👇. All content is free, and paid subscriptions are voluntary.
—————————————————————————————————
-prada- Adi Mulia Pradana is a Helper. Former adviser (President Indonesia) Jokowi for mapping 2-times election. I used to get paid to catch all these blunders—now I do it for free. Trying to work out what's going on, what happens next. Arch enemies of the tobacco industry, (still) survive after getting doxed. Now figure out, or, prevent catastrophic situations in the Indonesian administration from outside the government. After his mom was nearly killed by a syndicate, now I do it (catch all these blunders, especially blunders by an asshole syndicates) for free. Writer actually facing 12 years attack-simultaneously (physically terror, cyberattack terror) by his (ex) friend in IR UGM / HI UGM (all of them actually indebted to me, at least get a very cheap book). 2 times, my mom nearly got assassinated by my friend with “komplotan” / weird syndicate. Once assassin, forever is assassin, that I was facing in years. I push myself to be (keep) dovish, pacifist, and you can read my pacifist tone in every note I write. A framing that myself propagated for years.
(Very rare compliment and initiative pledge. Thank you. Yes, even a lot of people associated me PRAVDA, not part of MIUCCIA PRADA. I’m literally asshole on debate, since in college). Especially after heated between Putin and Prigozhin. My note-live blog about Russia - Ukraine already click-read 4 millions.
=======
Thanks for reading Prada’s Newsletter. I was lured, inspired by someone writer, his post in LinkedIn months ago, “Currently after a routine daily writing newsletter in the last 10 years, my subscriber reaches 100,000. Maybe one of my subscribers is your boss.” After I get followed / subscribed by (literally) prominent AI and prominent Chief Product and Technology of mammoth global media (both: Sir, thank you so much), I try crafting more / better writing.
To get the ones who really appreciate your writing, and now prominent people appreciate my writing, priceless feeling. Prada ungated/no paywall every notes-but thank you for anyone open initiative pledge to me.
(Promoting to more engage in Substack) Seamless to listen to your favorite podcasts on Substack. You can buy a better headset to listen to a podcast here (GST DE352306207).
Listeners on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or Pocket Casts simultaneously. podcasting can transform more of a conversation. Invite listeners to weigh in on episodes directly with you and with each other through discussion threads. At Substack, the process is to build with writers. Podcasts are an amazing feature of the Substack. I wish it had a feature to read the words we have written down without us having to do the speaking. Thanks for reading Prada’s Newsletter.
Wants comfy jogging pants / jogginghose amid scorching summer or (one day) harsh winter like black jogginghose or khaki/beige jogginghose like this? click
Headset and Mic can buy in here, but not including this cat, laptop, and couch / sofa.