Terminating the U.S. Force Posture Agreement (FPA) has become one of IPAN’s 2025 Campaigns
To join the campaign: contact Bevan Ramsden: bevanram1960@gmail.com
This FPA military Agreement gives the United States military a heavy footprint on the Australian continent enabling it to launch or support a foreign war from our soil in conjunction with our ADF which is now closely integrated with the US military.
The FPA document can be accessed HERE.
The FPA provides for unimpeded access by the US military to agreed areas and facilities such as our ports for its warships and nuclear submarines, our airfields for its military aircraft including nuclear-capable B52 bombers stationed at RAAF Tindal as well as fuel, maintenance and munitions stores distributed in various parts of Australia. The FPA underpins the annual stationing in excess of 2,500 US marines in NT each year for training and practising go to war with our ADF.
This military Agreement can be terminated by Australia giving the U.S. 12 months notice of termination.”
United States’ B52 bomber at RAAF base in NT Massive aircraft fuel storage for US fighters and bombers established at East Arm Darwin for US exclusive use
The FPA provides for porting and maintenance facilities for US Nuclear Submarines in WA
IPAN’s FPA working group was tasked with creating an awareness of the FPA and its implications which it has done through meetings and webinars as well as producing a FACT Sheet on the FPA.
The FACT sheet can be accessed HERE
The FPA Working Group organised a petition to Federal Parliament calling for the termination of the FPA. This attracted 3,916 signatures and was presented to Federal Parliament in November, 2023 by the Federal Members for Brisbane, Stephen Bates.
CAMPAIGNING for Termination of the FPA together with termination of AUKUS is one of IPAN’s major campaign for 2025
Contact Bevan Ramsden: bevanram1960@gmail.com if you would like to join this campaign activities.
Other ways to help create awareness and opposition to the FPA:
- Distribute the FPA Fact Sheet; it isavailable HERE ; if you need quantities of the fact sheet please contact bevanram1960@gmail.com Distribution could be at meetings, work place, at stalls at functions or street stalls or through publications you have access to.
- Arrange to have a speaker on the FPA at a meeting of an organization you are associated with. This could be a trade union, faith organization, community group, peace group, political party branch, etc. IPAN can provide a speaker. Contact bevanbram1960@gmail.com to arrange a speaker.
- Send a letter to your Member of Parliament; typical letter HERE
More Information:
Read Michelle Fahy’s article: Michele Fahy an independent writer and researcher in her contribution to Arena Quarterly, September, 2024
Provides details of the FPA as follows: ,:“The FPA is the overarching determinant of our military relationship with the United States. It enables a significant increase in the militarisation of Australia in order to support America’s ability to wage war against China. It (FPA) says: ’United States Forces and United States Contractors shall have unimpeded access to and use of Agreed Facilities and Areas for activities undertaken in connection with this Agreement’. It also allows:
- unimpeded access to our airfields and airport facilities for US combat aircraft and bombers,
- unimpeded access to our seaports for US naval vessels, including US nuclear submarines at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia,
- the construction of a US Air Force mission planning, intelligence and operations centre in Darwin as part of $630 million in American spending across the Top End over the next two years,
- the establishment, under US military control, of several storage facilities for aircraft fuel, spare parts and munitions, including eleven giant jet fuel storage tanks near Darwin’s main port at a cost to the US of $270 million, which ‘will allow the US to run large-scale exercises and operations from Northern Australia, demonstrating how strategically important the top end has become for Washington’, and
- the embedding of US military intelligence analysts within Canberra’s Defence Intelligence Organisation, which will be renamed the Combined Intelligence Centre—Australia, a move Marles described as a ‘significant step’ towards ‘seamless’ intelligence ties.”
View Kellie Tranter and Richard Tanter speaking on the FPA and its implications: https://youtu.be/kNb7Ype7nJU
Read Kellie’s speech here
Download extended slide set for Richard’s talk here