Australian targets from AUKUS participation
In Gareth Evans’ article, he posits: “The conversion of Stirling into a major base for a US Indian Ocean fleet will mean Perth now joining Pine Gap and the North West Cape, and probably the B-52 base at Tindal, as a potential nuclear target.”
In the early-mid 1970s, I studied the strategic situation of potential nuclear conflict, with occasional guest tutorials given by Des Ball, an acknowledged world expert on the subject – his analysis is credited with the (nearly!) deceased POTUS Jimmy Carter as having prevented WWIII. At one stage, he asked the tutorial class: “What is the next likely nuclear target after Pine Gap?”
Nobody guessed his summation: “The Deakin (ACT) telephone exchange. It is the back-up facility if Pine Gap’s communication capability is damaged.”
As a nuclear target nowadays, probably not – only nuclear-equipped missiles could have reached us then. Nowadays, maybe a hypersonic cruise missile would do it. But since I then lived in Yarralumla, about 1.5km from that site, it was not a happy thought.
If that seems fantastic, Google Maps query: “Telstra Exchange Deakin ACT” and note the much larger building just behind it. Which if you click upon, lists as “Defence Installation”.
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