The U.S. Navy Goes Down Under

Peter Zeihan 4 min

The U.S. Navy's plan to station submarines in Australia assumes the global system is broken beyond repair. Creating conditions that force a broken global system raises concerns about stability.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    U.S. Navy Expands Australian Base

    The U.S. Navy plans to station four submarines at the Sterling Base near Perth, Australia, to protect against Chinese missile attacks on Guam. Dispersing forces beyond Chinese missile range is a robust strategy, especially when allied with loyal partners like Australia. The remote location of Perth makes it impossible to directly strike China, limiting operations to shipping lanes. China relies heavily on international trade for energy, food, and manufacturing goods flowing through the Indian Ocean.

  2. 2:10

    Disrupting Shipping as a Weapon

    Sinking Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean would effectively shut down their energy and food supplies without direct combat. Without Guam as a stepping stone, naval assets stationed at Perth would be isolated and exposed. The plan assumes the global system is broken beyond repair, forcing reliance on this specific remote location.

  3. 3:28

    Concern Over Forcing Global Collapse

    Creating conditions that force a broken global system raises concerns about the stability of the current order.

Key points

  • 0:00

    The U.S. Navy plans to station four submarines at the Sterling Base near Perth, Australia.

  • 0:00

    Dispersing forces beyond Chinese missile range is a robust strategy.

  • 0:00

    The remote location of Perth makes it impossible to directly strike China.

  • 0:00

    China relies heavily on international trade for energy, food, and manufacturing goods.

  • 2:10

    Sinking Chinese ships in the Indian Ocean would effectively shut down their supplies.

  • 2:10

    Without Guam as a stepping stone, naval assets stationed at Perth would be isolated and exposed.

  • 2:10

    The plan assumes the global system is broken beyond repair.

  • 3:28

    Creating conditions that force a broken global system raises concerns about stability.

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