US military to export 'high risk' explosives to Australian ports amid arms expansion
Subcontractors in at least four Australian ports will soon handle United States military cargo containing gases and radioactive material, as part of an expanded contract with the US government, the ABC can reveal.
The US Department of Defence is currently seeking tenders for port services in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria, where it expects "indefinite quantities" of explosives, aircraft, classified and general cargo to be unloaded from ships and onto trucks.
The tender solicitation issued by a US transportation battalion based in Yokohama, Japan, covers the handling of cargo shipped to and from Australia.
An Australian Defence Force (ADF) spokesperson said shipments "were necessary to enable and support US exercises and activities in Australia".
The ADF did not respond to questions about whether the cargo was also intended for Australian military use.
Similar shipments into Australian ports are currently handled by German company EMS Shipping and Trading, as part of a $3.1 million contract awarded in 2023.
But the US Military Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) says a new contract extending to 2030 will replace it.
The contract is currently valued at $346,500, however that amount isn't finalised and is expected to increase.
In a statement to bidders, USTRANSCOM said additional payments would be made weekly via "task orders" throughout the life of the contract.
Twenty tonne containers of "explosives cargo" have been added to shipping manifests on the new contract, and in an attached statement to prospective contractors, USTRANSCOM said those containers "include gases, or radioactive".
USTRANSCOM said contractors would be expected to comply with US laws around the handling of ammunition and explosives, including "rockets, missiles, warheads and devices".
The new contract will also expand arms shipments to the Point Wilson port, between Geelong and Melbourne, which in 2023 was flagged for "large-scale importation of guided weapons and explosive ordnance" according to the Australian Department of Defence.
The expansion of US arms shipments to other "secondary" Australian ports was also flagged, which USTRANSCOM said had not yet been identified, and would be separate to the 2025-2031 contract.
The USTRANSCOM tender says contractor employees could be screened for "indications of criminal, terrorism, or threat-related activity or alliances detrimental" to the US or Australian governments.
However USTRANSCOM did not respond to questions over whether the Port of Darwin's leaseholder, Chinese company Landbridge, would be subject to these conditions.
In 2023, three months after the current contract for services at the Darwin Port was awarded, an Australian government review into Landbridge's lease found that "existing monitoring mechanisms are sufficient and will be ongoing."
Defence industry consultant Darian Macey said the contract "broadens the [US] strategic footprint" in Australia, by adding more dangerous cargo and expanding arms shipments to Victoria's Point Wilson port.
"While the contract itself doesn't specify end use, the inclusion of high-risk cargo types and expanded port access is consistent with broader trends we're seeing under AUKUS and allied posture initiatives," he said.
Mr Macey said the contract signalled "a maturing [US] posture in the region" that could support rapid deployments throughout the Indo-Pacific.
"Australia and the Indo-Pacific region is a theatre to the American military planners," he said.
"Having those assets in theatre means that they can respond more rapidly, than if they had to bring those assets across from their home country."
The Australian Department of Defence's Brigadier Mick Say told the recent Northern Australia Defence Summit that the pre-positioning of US military equipment in Australia had been "enabled" by the 2014 US Force Posture Agreement.
He flagged a potential expansion in US Force Posture efforts after high-level ministerial talks between Canberra and Washington later this year.
"That will lead to a number of other announcements, once agreed to by governments, in regards to the next steps of the Force Posture activities within Australia," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Over the top' house sells for $18.5m
It was described as capturing 'the romance and timeless beauty of a Mediterranean villa', and the house known as 'Formentera' certainly does that. You won't find too many grand Australian homes with internal finishes quite like this. Even its latest vendors, sources say, considered them a bit 'over the top'. The grand six-bedroom home at 86 Lang Rd, Centennial Park, has just sold for $18.5m after 27 days on the market via Ray White Double Bay's Ashley Bierman and Thomas Popple, in conjunction with Ben Collier and Daniel Acocks at The Agency. But it had been on the market since last September with Collier, initially with hopes of $23m. The result fell at the lower end of its latest $18.5m-$20m guide, with the buyers known to be banker Andrew Cox and his partner, Pru, moving from 22 Attunga St, Woollahra that's listed with Collier. They no doubt factored in a reno for the Lang Rd mansion, to bring it more in line with Australian contemporary tastes. The recent Wentworth Courier House of the Week property, which gets its name from the smallest of the Spanish Balearic Islands, is currently owned by Rob Speedie, Novotech CFO, and Annabelle Mooney, the former JPMorgan managing director. The pair bought the four-storey house in 2021 for $12.5 million from car dealers Paul and Elizabeth Warren, of the Peter Warren Automotives clan. Perhaps it was these previous owners who were behind the 'exquisite hand-painted ceilings, architectural detailing, and a warm Mediterranean palette'. The marble kitchen, with its island bench, Ilve cooker and integrated Sub-Zero fridges, has all the mod cons, but is probably set for a makeover. What would have sold the place, though, was the 854sqm landholding in a prime location on millionaire's row in Centennial Park, with the buyers looking beyond the current design of the 650sq m of internal living space. As Kirsten Craze wrote in her recent feature: 'Outdoors, the landscaped grounds include a European parterre front yard with a pond and manicured hedges, as well as a rear yard with a huge pool, a paved terrace and lawn. 'The first floor is home to a family bathroom plus four bedrooms including the palatial primary and secondary suite, both with large dressing rooms, balconies and deluxe ensuites. 'One more level includes a fifth bedroom or teenager retreat with adjoining sitting room, a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. Above the double lock up garage and utility room, a convenient one-bedroom au pair or guest apartment comes complete with a kitchen and bathroom, as well as its own private entrance. 'Across from Centennial Park, Formentera is within easy access of Woollahra shops, Oxford St, the Allianz Stadium precinct, Entertainment Quarter, horse riding and the Sporting Club of Sydney.'
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Osborne shipyard traders face nervous wait in new AUKUS review
For Port Adelaide bakery owner Philip Donnelly, the AUKUS pact has brought a sense of long-term security. In the years to come, the local workforce is set to grow by thousands — with nuclear submarine workers to be based at the nearby Osborne Naval Shipyard. But uncertainty has reverberated across the Pacific following Thursday's announcement that the US government will review the agreement. Mr Donnelly, who said he has invested in the area as a business owner and resident, found the news concerning. "There was a lot of confidence around the initial announcement, and a lot of investment in infrastructure and in business," he said. "I know a lot of people have invested money into manufacturing so I'm sure they'd be waking up feeling pretty nervous about the future events and to see how they unfold." But the review did not come as a shock for others in the area. Port Adelaide Traders Association chair Ryan Jones had predicted an evaluation would take place following the US election. "I was surprised it took them this long," he said. "We kind of expected it. We saw that happen in the UK, when Keir Starmer got in." The federal and state governments took a similar view in the wake of the announcement, downplaying concerns about the future of the agreement. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained "very confident" AUKUS would be delivered. He suggested the 30-day review was no different to one conducted by the Australian government, and said Australia had been briefed in advance about the review. Hindmarsh MP Mark Butler, whose electorate takes in the shipyard, said the community had dealt with changes to defence policy over a period of several years. But he acknowledged the review had caused "a lot of nervousness" in the community. "What the community wants, what the workforce down there want, is certainty," he said. "Over the last decade it was, 'do we buy them off the shelf from Japan?', 'do we invest in French technology?' Former US president Joe Biden announced the AUKUS deal in 2021, when Australia terminated an earlier deal to purchase submarines from France. Since then, AUKUS has enjoyed bipartisan support in all three countries — with senior Trump administration having spoken in support of it. But late last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth requested that Australia significantly boost its defence spending "as soon as possible". US defence officials have said the AUKUS review will ensure the pact aligns with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been invested to prepare Australia for AUKUS, and to ensure Osborne has the capability to construct nuclear submarines. A new $480 million training academy is under construction, and university places have been designated to build the workforce. Despite the review, Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government remained confident the submarines would be built in South Australia. "I can understand people's concerns and the reason for the questions, that's natural," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. Mr Malinauskas also dismissed calls for the federal government to conduct its own review, pointing to the amount of work already underway. "It's a bit unfortunate from my perspective that the Lefevre Peninsula at Osborne is a bit out of sight out of mind — you've got to get in a car and drive down there to if you want to see what's going on," he said. "But if you go there … where they're building the skills and training academy, there is lorry after lorry doing earthmoving works to build an over $400 million facility, which is under construction, which is going to hold the principal training facility for people working on SSN-AUKUS. "So, things are happening." The state opposition and Greens both called for parliamentary committees to probe the AUKUS deal. Shadow Treasurer Sam Telfer said Australian governments must be proactive in shoring up the agreement. "A review in itself doesn't mean a big change but the potential for there to be that change needs to be something which is prominent in the mind of both the premier and the prime minister," he said. Greens parliamentary leader Robert Simms said the future of South Australia was too reliant on the Trump administration under the AUKUS arrangement. "We know, and South Australians have seen this over many years now, that promises of submarine jobs often fail to materialise," he said. "What we should be doing instead is considering alternatives for green manufacturing here in South Australia."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Jacob Greber to replace Laura Tingle as 7.30 political editor, ABC announces
Award-winning journalist Jacob Greber will join 7.30 as political editor, the ABC has announced. Greber takes over from Laura Tingle, who stepped down from the role last month to become the public broadcaster's global affairs editor. Greber, who is the ABC's chief digital political correspondent, has had an almost 30-year journalism career covering economics, politics and world affairs. "It's an incredible time to join 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson and the team. Our audience rightly demands clarity and insight about the people who govern us and the challenges we face as a nation," Greber said. "I also salute Laura Tingle — an absolute class act and fearless force of nature. I'm humbled and thrilled to pick up where she's left off." The announcement was made during Thursday night's program, with 7.30 presenter Sarah Ferguson breaking the news to viewers. Greber will continue to write regularly for the ABC News website and app and appear on the Politics Now podcast and weekly politics program Insiders. Greber's journalism career started in the journalistic equivalent of the mail room — as a copyboy in the Canberra press gallery. He covered Queensland state politics for The Courier-Mail before moving to Switzerland — his father's homeland. There he worked for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and then Bloomberg News in Zurich, covering the European economy and Switzerland's global banks. That experience parlayed perfectly into a role at the Australian Financial Review on his return to Australia in 2012. He started as economics correspondent in Canberra before a three-year stint as US correspondent in Washington DC in 2018, before returning as senior political correspondent. He joined the ABC in 2024. ABC director of news Justin Stevens said he was thrilled to see Greber join 7.30, the nightly current affairs show that he himself used to lead as executive producer. "Jacob has been a fantastic addition to the ABC and has just come off a superb election campaign," he said. "7.30 is a flagship program for ABC News and Jacob joins a brilliant team. We can't wait to have him on the program." Greber takes up the new role from July 7. Tingle, who also joined the ABC from the AFR, was 7.30's political reporter for six years. She starts her new role in early July.
