THE defence alliance between the US and Australia is to be significantly beefed up as more American ships, aircraft and troops move from North Asia to the southern hemisphere to be based locally at joint military facilities.
New US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said yesterday that enhancement of the relationship between the alliance partners was intended to send a "very clear signal" to the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr Panetta was speaking in San Francisco after a high-level ministerial meeting, known as Ausmin, that marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS treaty in the same city.
"We've done exchanges, we've had exercises together," he said. "That is something we've done pretty much in the past. The goal here is to strengthen that relationship as best we can to send a clear signal to the Asia-Pacific region that the US and Australia are going to continue to work together to make very clear to those that would threaten us that we are going to stick together."
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