With Defence Minister Richard Marles back from a mysterious trip to the US, the alliance is back in the spotlight, as it has been since the second Trump administration took office. This week we debated whether Marles’ photo with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth represented a “happenstance” or a “meeting”, an issue that represents the chaos in the Pentagon rather than a reflection on the alliance. Yet beneath the headlines lies a more pressing question: in a crisis, how would we fight together in an Indo-Pacific conflict, are our expectations of roles clear and are they truly in Australia’s interest?

Defence Minister Richard Marles met US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.Credit: Artists

I would argue they are not. Australia should focus on complementing US power while retaining the ability to execute key roles independently, from defending Australia and its maritime trade to supporting partners in the Pacific without relying on Washington. After all, as a sovereign nation, Australia alone is responsible for its defence.

This debate has sharpened with reports that the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defence for policy, Elbridge Colby, is pressuring Australia to clarify its role in a potential conflict over Taiwan. While suggestions of demands for a formal pre-commitment seem unlikely, especially given Washington’s own policy of strategic ambiguity, it is clear the US wants greater certainty. Australia should want that clarity too.

Long a cornerstone of Australia’s military strategy, the alliance has allowed a nation of 27 million to wield disproportionate influence in an era of great-power competition. Despite tensions over........

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