The US military is working on establishing a permanent, war-ready weapons cache for its Marine Corps along Australia’s southeastern coast, beyond the reach of most Chinese missiles, according to tender documents and confirmed by officials to AFP.
This will be the Marine Corps’ first such stockpile in Australia, aimed at utilizing the continent’s strategic position in the South Pacific to counter China’s rapid military expansion, experts said.
During the Cold War, the US Marine Corps began prepositioning military supplies globally—using floating stores on ships and storage caves in Norway for weapons, ammunition, and vehicles needed to sustain thousands of troops.
The first land-based stockpile in the Asia-Pacific region is set to open this year in the Philippines, near potential hotspots in the South China Sea.
Recently released US Navy documents reveal plans for an even larger Australian stockpile, with $30 million allocated for constructing warehouses and offices in southeastern Victoria for “critical forward provisioning.”
By 2028, this Australian facility is expected to reach full capacity and will be stored in Melbourne before being relocated to US warehouses at an Australian military base in Bandiana, rural Victoria, under construction next year, according to tender details.
Australia does not permit foreign military bases on its territory—a sensitive issue given its security alliance with the US and the increasing presence of rotating US forces at Australian defense facilities.
The US Navy has contracted a global defense firm to staff the Australian stockpile with around 110 specialists—including engineers, mechanics, and safety experts—to oversee the supplies, which include “crew-served weapons,” according to the documents.
A Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesperson told AFP that Marine activities in Australia support global sustainment efforts by maintaining ready-to-issue equipment and supplies for operations and exercises across the Indo-Pacific. The spokesperson declined to discuss specific contract details or force planning but emphasized that Marine equipment is maintained at “high readiness.”
Coordination on contracting and operations will closely involve Australia’s Department of Defense. The spokesperson added that these activities enhance responsiveness, interoperability with allies and partners, and support various missions throughout the Indo-Pacific, a broader term for the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2023, US Army trucks were stationed at Bandiana following an Australian war game involving US troops that occurs biennially. The Marine stockpile project at Bandiana, approved last July, is separate from these arrangements.
“The Marine Corps and Army equipment programs are tailored to their respective service needs and managed independently,” the Marines spokesperson stated.
Australia’s Department of Defence has not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Beyond China’s missile threat?
The Pentagon has requested $500 million from Congress next year to enhance equipment and fuel prepositioning across the Asia-Pacific, aiming to deter China.
Approximately 2,000 US Marines conduct six months of exercises annually in Darwin, on Australia’s northern coast.
A recent report by the Lowy Institute warned that China possesses the capability to target northern Australia with ballistic missiles launched from its outposts in the South China Sea.
According to Sam Roggeveen, director of international security at the Lowy Institute, this potential threat likely influenced the decision to establish a stockpile in southeastern Australia.
“Once these facilities become operational, they would be obvious targets for China,” he said.
The increasing deployment of US forces and military resources in Australia represents a significant shift in Australian policy, aligning the country more closely with America’s strategic goals in the region, Roggeveen added.
John Blaxland, a professor of international security at the Australian National University, noted that Australia’s geographic importance is gaining recognition amid concerns over the vulnerability of the US military base on Guam.
“With regional influence competition at its highest in over a generation, it’s not surprising the US Marine Corps is looking to Australia for storage solutions,” he said.
“Unless Australia significantly boosts defense spending—something that isn’t politically feasible—facilitating US investment in Australian infrastructure seems to be the most sensible strategy.”