French warships and troops would be given guaranteed access to Australian naval bases and military sites under a proposal being discussed by both countries, as the federal government moves to lock in the next stage of its troubled $90 billion future submarine program next week, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can reveal Australia and France have begun negotiations to significantly upgrade military co-operation, which would boost inter-operability between their forces.
Australia and France currently have a Status of Forces Agreement – which sets out how the forces of each country should operate together – but are exploring options to provide greater access to each other’s militaries. The talks could eventually pave the way for French naval ships to have a permanent presence at Australian naval bases or for troops to rotate through Australian training bases.
While France has been active in the region for decades with a focus on its island territories such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia, the country has been looking to ramp up its diplomatic and military presence in the Indo-Pacific amid increased Chinese assertiveness.
The negotiations could elevate France’s defence relationship with Australia to second only behind the United States, which has a rotational force of about 2500 Marines deployed in Darwin.