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<\/p>\nCanberra and Washington DC have committed to bolster the US’ military presence in Australia following a meeting between Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Richard Marles.<\/p>\n
Mr Marles and his Trump administration counterpart discussed defence policy at the Pentagon on Wednesday as they commemorated the 75-year anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty.<\/p>\n
The US Department of War said the two nations discussed ways to advance the alliance and strengthen deterrence in the Pacific region.<\/p>\n
“Both leaders agreed to accelerate force posture initiatives at Australian bases, bolster cooperation in combined logistics, and build greater interoperability through joint exercises,” a spokesman for the department said.<\/p>\n
Secretary Hegseth also reiterated a longstanding plea from the Trump administration for capable allies to invest in their own sovereign security.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration has called on its allies, including Australia, to lift their defence spending to at least 3.5 per cent of GDP.<\/p>\n
The Albanese government has repeatedly maintained that Canberra will set its own defence budget, not Washington, with Mr Marles greenlighting a marginal increase to 3 per cent of GDP by 2033.<\/p>\n
“The Secretary noted the alignment between US and Australian National Defense Strategies and also acknowledged that Canberra recognises the gravity of maintaining a favorable balance of power,” the memo read.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Both Mr Marles and Secretary Hegseth agreed to hasten the development and cooperation of “force posture initiatives” in Australia, which includes joint military exercises.<\/p>\n
The US and Australia seek to develop their combined logisitics and increase the interoperability of their militaries.<\/p>\n
The memo said the two leaders also discussed progress on defence industrial cooperation to enable shared capacity for guided weapons and next-generation capabilities.<\/p>\n
The pair also discuss AUKUS and “advancements” in the nuclear submarine deal.<\/p>\n
The recent arrival of US Navy sailors in Western Australia to support the launch of Submarine Rotational Force \u2013 West activities in 2027 was also welcomed.<\/p>\n
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