The US is expanding a naval base in Papua New Guinea as part of its military buildup in the Asia Pacific that’s being done to prepare for a future war with China, USNI News has reported.
The US signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with Papua New Guinea last year that gives the US military “unimpeded access” to two ports, three airports, and the Lombrum Naval Base.
According to USNI, the US Navy is planning three projects at Lombrum: the construction of a regional maritime training center, a small boat team and boson facility, and the overhaul of a 118-foot-long deteriorated small boat jetty. The projects are estimated to cost somewhere between $11 million and $25 million.
The Trump administration announced it would help expand the Lombrum Naval Base in 2018 in a move seen as a response to Chinese infrastructure projects in the region. However, the administration never allocated funds for the project.
In its announcement of the projects, the US said the purpose was to “support the PNGDF (Papua New Guinea Defence Force), maritime security operations, US military personnel participating in joint exercises, and USINDOPACOM Theater Campaign Plan with various critical facilities located at Lombrum Naval Base.”
US military officials have been explicit that the purpose of gaining access to more bases in the region is to expand China’s potential list of targets in a future war. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the former head of US Pacific Air Forces who is now the commander of Air Combat Command, made this clear in comments to Nikkei Asia last year.
“Obviously, we would like to disperse in as many places as we can to make the targeting problem for the Chinese as difficult as possible,” Wilsbach said. “A lot of those runways where we would operate from are in the Pacific Island nations.”
In A Man for All Seasons, Thomas More said to his betrayer Richard Rich: “For Wales? Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world. . . but for Wales!” Make that Papua New Guinea here. Along with countless other places.
I thought the spirit here was citizens-of-the-world united for globalism but against war.
“Obviously, we would like to disperse in as many places as we can to
make the targeting problem for the Chinese as difficult as possible,”
Debt funding for death and destruction has worked, (up to now).
Thanks for the map, putting it all in perspective.
Go ahead and put a target on your back.
Lol, shocker! Just a day or two ago I read we’ve building a new base somewhere but couldn’t remember where. A quick search was quite enlightening – we’re building/expanding bases everywhere:
Philippines Philippines Philippines Philippines
Australia
Guam
A backup air base at Tinian Island,
Okinawa
Japan
Papua New Guinea
2 in Syria
Romania
Poland
Norway
a secret base in Israel
5 new bases in Somalia
The Mariana Islands
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean (Micronesia)
Never found the one I remember reading so I’m substituting the Multiple Moon Bases 🙂
Unbelievable, but that’s The Age of Delusion
I really wish they’d abandon all that and build high speed rail to Panama and then down from Colombia. And we need nuclear power plants and solar, tidal, thermal.
We spend all this money, we should at least be able to call it “The American Empire”.
A future war? Nukes are launched…
The “Evil Empire”, begging for a war with China and Russia,,what do the DC Ghouls have hidden up their sleeves and why the rush to show it? I think I have a good guess……………
I guess they would think it cool to see a flash, then a strange looking cloud.
PNG is an impoverished hellhole basically in a permanent state of civil war. This money should go to dealing with the real issues there.
announced it would help expand the Lombrum Naval Base in 2018 in a move seen as a response to Chinese infrastructure projects in the region
The US in a nutshell.
Right. China does some things right, so. they are a threat. Insane.
I get just a little angry when I hear someone complain about the budget deficit. Our military budget, our “footprint” all over the world is the reason. Not Social Security. Not Medicare. Not increase wages. Our GD military spending, plus involvement in hostilities everywhere. Orwell was right. Maj. General Smedley Butler was right.
I get a little angry when i see people suffering in Russia, no pensions, no salaries, no heating, no toilets, cities under water while Putin continues dumping billions towards his personal war in Ukraine.
But that doesn’t make you angry at all. You instead support it then come b!tch at another country’s internal affairs.
WTF? What is the US doing?
No!! Only Russia and China can annex and build bases anywhere they want.
This is insanity.