Mix and match support

An interesting read over on The Strategist.

I think the LJB reference is kind of important as it was he who went along with the cooked up Gulf of Tonkin incident. But anyway:

Similarly, Australia’s 1999 intervention in East Timor didn’t engage America’s national interests and so US support was less comprehensive than some hoped.

Well OK but a little extra history:

In 1999, the US imposed a ban on military aid to Indonesia after it was accused of taking part in violence in East Timor during that territory's break from Indonesia. The ban had a serious impact on the combat readiness of Indonesia's F-16 fleet, mainly due to a lack of spare parts.

Maybe far from perfect, but a good object lesson.

Of interest, we also do not know the full view of U.S. intel support and other resources that may, or may not have been integrated into Australia's F-111 strike contingency and other ADF work that was being spooled up at the time.

In political terms such an approach means potentially signing us up in advance for any and all future American wars; this is a big ask and in many ways makes us the 51st state of the Union!

Don't worry. With the help of insurgent forces like the DMO, the current spend-thrift government and the Entrenched Defence Bureaucracy, you won't have to worry much about the U.S. asking Australia on the next Operation:USELESS DIRT because there may not be a military to deploy. What of it there is could very well be parked at the dock, airfield or barracks with no sustainment plan of worth.

As an aside, USAF aggressor F-16s from Alaska are visiting at RAAF Base Williamtown to help out with a RAAF training program.