I actually like the idea of forward basing in PNG. in my view has a lot of merit. I'll note that PNG recently signed security deals with the Australian Government, and I would suggest they still remember what it feals like to be invaded by a hostile force and have a massive land battle in your home.
We often talk about the Australians that died in PNG, however we forget the horrific depopulation that occured for the locals over about three years of vicious occupation and frontline combat.
PNG forward basing provides us an extra 1,300km range from Darwin, an enormus buffer and a second safety net over the maritime archipelago choke points. Yes it comes with a lot of logistical requirements, but that is what the defence force is being set up to do. I would see it not too much different to RAAF Curtin or Learmonth. Perhaps we should consider a similar bare base preparation in PNG.
We could forward deploy an F35 and P8 squadron, protected by an army littoral deployment (with said NASAMS, HIMARS and SkyCeptor missile defences) if the geopolicial climate deteriorates. PNG has over 20 airports dotted around its countryside, so it offers a lot of flexibility to move around and disperse.
I would actually expand the the concept to some of the Pacific islands, such as Fiji or New Caledonia.
My personal view is that F35s, and even P8s have limited use operating exclusively out of the Australian continent. They are much more use way out front stopping things getting to Australian waters in the first place.
Further Lombrum (Manus Island) forward deployment investment/purchase should be a big consideration.
Pacific Island Foreign Legion within the ADF of some description. 5 years service = Australian citizenship. 5,000-10,000 force specialist trained for Pacific Operations.
A proposed Fiji training base for this force.
Lombrum main base.
$8-$15b initial investment in the Lombrum base. Deep Port, fuel storage, dry docks. Runways, hangers, control towers etc. phased array radar etc. Australian project managed. PNG general construction labor to keep costs down. Investment in training local construction industry in countries largest ever project.
Sub facilities, Docks capable of receiving USN carriers and all current RAN assets (Canberra's etc)
Airfield capable of housing RAAF F35's, Hornets, P-8's as well as US B-21's etc.
Missile defence systems from Manus Island - Aegis Ashore, NASAMS, THAAD, NSM, HIMARS/Prsm, etc
Drones - Try and leverage this investment with involvement in the RQ-180 project with the USA. MQ-9B Skyguardians to operate from there and further P8 investment to support it. Could future stage the Ghost bats and underwater drone etc from here also.
Can support humanitarian and disaster response through PNG, Solomon Islands also.
1,800km from Guam. In range and can be used for co-operation logistical support and layered missile defense choke point between between the two to protect the global shipping lanes exiting the South China sea towards Northern Australia.
Tindal, Guam and the Phillipines (Cebu) are all within operational support range for F/35's, F/18's from Lombrum also.
It ticks so many boxes. There's your GDP defense budget spending increase also to keep the USA happy.
An Australian controlled mini Guam, within support range of all key pacific island assets and a lot of key region neighbours (Indonesia, Vietnam, Phillipines) (as well as Northern Australia if required) and right on the door step of the South China Sea.
Even better, rather than spending $750m AUD on a PNG NRL team..... we can already re-allocate and come up with 5-10% of the budget instantly and spend it in the same country...
China would absolutely hate it. RAN assets could be in operational range of Taiwan in 2-3 days from there. A Hobart could reach Guam in 30 hours.
