Enduring Australia-U.S. alliance bolsters regional stability

FORUM Staff

Seventy-five years after forging their alliance as an “enduring foundation of trust, cooperation and shared purpose,” Australia and the United States are advancing security initiatives to strengthen Indo-Pacific deterrence.

The allies’ defense leaders pledged in early September 2026 to enhance logistics collaboration, deepen interoperability via an already robust series of joint military exercises, and increase codevelopment of guided weapons and other next-generation assets.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, meeting in Washington, D.C., also agreed to quicken expansion of the U.S. military posture in Australia, which includes an annual six-month rotational deployment of a U.S. Marine Corps task force to Darwin in northern Australia. The nations’ forces also conduct regular multinational exercises in Australia, such as Southern Cross, Southern Jackaroo and Talisman Sabre.

Additionally, under the trilateral AUKUS security pact, the United Kingdom and the U.S. will begin rotational deployments of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to Western Australia in 2027.

“American force posture in Australia is growing. That’s across all the domains,” Marles said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. “We think that’s really important in terms of providing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, providing stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific. That’s very much in Australia’s national interest.”

Australia’s National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program, unveiled in April 2026, commits more than $290 billion over a decade to defense. At the same time, the Australian Defence Force is accelerating its transformation with a focus on deterrence, self-reliance and stronger partnerships.

“I think we feel that we live in a world which is increasingly challenging, where the strategic threat is growing, it’s not receding,” Marles said.

Hegseth highlighted the importance of Allies and Partners supporting collective defense through investments in their own security.

“We share a common [understanding] of the complex threat picture in the world today and the need for allies to both plan together but also ensure our capabilities match and are complementary — if, and when, [military conflict] was to have to take place,” he said.

Marles said the alliance with the U.S. has been the cornerstone of Australia’s foreign and strategic policy, noting that 1 million U.S. service members were based in Australia during World War II.

“For more than seven decades, the Alliance has underpinned peace, stability and prosperity in our region and continues to contribute to the region’s strategic balance,” the Australian Defence Department stated. “Today the United States remains our closest ally and principal strategic partner.”