Overview
- Tender documents published Tuesday show the U.S. Navy has allocated about US$30 million for warehouses and offices in south‑eastern Victoria with interim storage in Melbourne and plans to build U.S. warehouses at Bandiana in 2027.
- The stockpile is described as war‑ready equipment and supplies kept at high readiness and is expected to reach full operational capacity by 2028.
- The Navy plans to contract a global defence firm to run the site and hire roughly 110 engineers, mechanics and safety specialists to manage materiel that includes crew‑served weapons.
- The Pentagon has asked Congress for US$500 million for 2027 to expand prepositioning across the Asia‑Pacific as part of deterrence and logistics efforts.
- Analysts say the southeast location reduces exposure to many Chinese missile threats but also makes the facilities clear strategic targets and deepens U.S. operational ties with Australia in a policy environment that bars permanent foreign bases.