Defense Videos

The U.S. Navy Goes Down Under || Peter Zeihan

The video discusses the U.S. Navy’s recent decision to partner with Australia on expanding the Sterling naval facility on an island off Perth, creating a second forward base far from the contested Western Pacific. Zeihan explains that the move addresses a core vulnerability: Guam could be neutralized by Chinese missiles, forcing the U.S. to fall back to Pearl Harbor. By stationing four submarines near Perth, the Navy gains a dispersed presence well outside China’s missile envelope, enabling interdiction of Chinese merchant traffic through the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca. He emphasizes that roughly 80% of China’s energy, half its food, and a similar share of manufactured goods travel through those sea lanes. A “Ford‑missile” capability at Sterling could, in a hot war, sink critical tankers and cargo ships, crippling China’s import‑dependent economy without direct combat. The strategic calculus reshapes power projection: while the base offers depth, it also risks isolation if Guam is lost, lacking intermediate stepping‑stones across the Pacific. The plan signals a shift toward economic warfare and underscores the growing fragility of the global trade system.