Australia: military exercise

An elite U.S. airborne battalion parachuted recently into an Australian Army base in New South Wales after a long direct flight from Hawaii. Thespectacular landing marked the beginning of a joint American-Australian military exercise TANDEM THRUST taking place in the Australian bushland. The exercise appears to be a part of growing defence cooperation between the two countries, aimed at developing long range military capabilities. Quite recently, Australian news media reported the arrival of an American spy plane Global Hawk, which landed in Sydney after a flight from the United States. The aircraft has no pilot and operates entirely on remote control. The government of Australia is one of the major supporters of the American anti-ballistic missile defence program proposed recently by the White House.

Henry L. Marconi Pravda.Ru Sydney, Australia