Commentary on equipping the Australian Defence Force tends to focus on high-end combat capabilities such as frigates, fighter aircraft and armoured vehicles. Much less is written about the assets and infrastructure that support those capabilities. When the supporting infrastructure is mentioned, it’s often from the point of view of parochial interests, such as the ongoing debate about whether the full-cycle dockings of Collins-class submarines should be conducted in South Australia or Western Australia.
In 2018, the US and Australian governments announced that that they would work with Papua New Guinea to redevelop the naval base on Manus Island to support Royal Australian Navy, US Navy and PNG Defence Force operations. However, little has emerged since then on what is being contemplated.
