DRONE WARFARE: US could fly spy drones from Australian territory
SYDNEY - Australia said Wednesday it may allow the United States to use its territory to operate long-range spy drones, as part of an increased US presence in the Asia-Pacific that has rankled China.
Washington and Canberra could also reportedly station US aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered attack submarines in the western Australian city of Perth, as part of a major expansion of military ties.
Under the expansion, the first US Marines out of a 2,500-strong deployment to Darwin in northern Australia -- unveiled last November by President Barack Obama -- are to arrive next month.
The Marines plan has irked Beijing, but reassured some Asian countries who see it as a statement that Washington intends to stand up for its allies and interests in the region amid concerns about China's increasing assertiveness.
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