UnSubRocky wrote on Aug 8
th, 2019 at 8:15pm:
Brian Ross wrote on Aug 8
th, 2019 at 5:35pm:
UnSubRocky wrote on Aug 8
th, 2019 at 2:36am:
US missiles in Darwin? Say goodbye to Darwin.
First up, why station them in Darwin? Who is a threat to Australia to the point where we need IRBM to counter them? Isn't there anywhere else, closer to their intended target(s)?
Second question. whats in it for us to make us a target for who ever hates the US to the point they would target Australia?
You put up the question "US Missiles
in Darwin?". I made the sardonic response that we could say goodbye to Darwin -- implicit that Darwin would be a military target.
The first question has been answered partially in the first paragraph. However, I would assume that you mean "in the Darwin region". Much as I consider Shoalwater Bay to be "in the Rockhampton region". The threat to Australia happens to be any country that is an enemy to the United States.
The answer to the second question is Australia is already a target of potential attack because of the alliance of Australia and the United States. Look to the history where Darwin was attacked because of the US navy being anchored in the port of Darwin. If the enemy of the United States wanted to put a dent into the American's military capability, taking out an outpost in the southwest Pacific region would be very helpful. Not that there are not more strategic places that the enemies of the United States could target first.
Well. there was actually other reasons why the Japanese attacked Darwin Harbour in 1942, Unsub. It was a secondary fleet base which backed up Singapore and had several hundred thousand gallons of fuel oil and several thousand rounds of ammunition for ship's guns. The Japanese felt they were more of a target than a single US freighter or even a US criuser..
Now, we are allied to the US but what value is that alliance? It appears to be far more valuable to Washington than it is to us. We have been involved in Vietnam, Somalia, East Timor because of our alliance with the US. We have lost many Australian sons, fathers, brothers and what have we gained in return? Cheaper weapons? We have seen our requests for US aid in four disputes/conflicts we have been involved in (West New Guinea, Kondfrontasi, East Timor I and East Timor II), denied. Yet it appears our presence in US conflicts is essential (Vietnam, Somalia, Gulf War I, Afghanistan, Gulf War II) to the success of the US effort - diplomatically and militarily.
Personally, I believe we have sold our blood too cheaply. Our Prime Minister should hesitate a little longer before he picks up the phone to take the call from el Presidente. Lets make them wait for change and see if they are willing to increase their bid for our support.
As for being a target for any US enemy, well yes and no. Only the PRC has missiles with the range to reach Australia but why would they bother, unless there were targets here worth attacking, such as US IRBMs? Afterall, we are more than willing to sell them whatever they desire.