Australia may host US drones at Cocos

[hanswu25]

Australia may host US drones at Cocos

A controversial proposal for a joint Australian-US military air base in the Indian Ocean could lead to the launch of drone spy flights across the region, according to officials quoted in Washington.

Targets? Islamic extremists in SEA? Or?

[Stitch]

My guess is to keep an eye on Chinese and Indian activities in the Indian Ocean.

[hanswu25]

Does it relate to the possible SSN base in Perth?

The World Today - Cocos Islands considered as US surveillance base 28/03/2012

Perhaps more significant will be the use of the naval base, HMAS Stirling, south of Perth, as a possible base for US nuclear attack submarines, as Tanya Nolan reports.

[HKDan]

My guess is to keep an eye on Chinese and Indian activities in the Indian Ocean.

If you wanted to keep a close eye on the Straights of Malacca, this would be a pretty good place to do it from.

[Bigfella]

If you wanted to keep a close eye on the Straights of Malacca, this would be a pretty good place to do it from.

Best me to it. Perfectly placed to monitor the Straits of Malacca & the Sth China Sea.

[Gun Boat]

Best me to it. Perfectly placed to monitor the Straits of Malacca & the Sth China Sea.

Would you support this, Bigfella, you mad leftie you?

[Bigfella]

Would you support this, Bigfella, you mad leftie you?

You seem to have me confused with some creation of your over-active imagination.

[Cedz]

IMO this isn't a bad thing. Minimal foot print in terms of the jointly operated base from the sounds of it and the intelligence gained in the area from drone flights will be of value. I'm all for additional cooperation with the US Military in the Pacific.

[Jim Ray]

sounds like a good thing to me. A way for the ausis to do recon without devoting troops