Thayer Consultancy Background Brief

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Papua New Guinea’s Lombrum
Naval Base Upgrade
April 11, 2024

We draw your attention to the following report about US-funded naval construction
in Papua New Guinea: https://news.usni.org/2024/04/06/u-s-set-to-expand-naval-
base-in-papua-new-guinea.

Q1. What is being built at Lombrum Naval Base and why?

ANSWER: Lombrum Naval Base, Papua New Guinea (PNG) was the largest U.S. naval
base in the Pacific during the Second World War. It is located in a strategic position on
Manus Island in the Bismarck Sea south of the Federated States of Micronesia (see
map bel.
The current upgrading of Lombrum Naval Base would provide better living and
medical facilities, communications and storage for the PNG Defence Force to carry out
its national defence responsibility to protect maritime borders and resource, offer
training for other Pacific Island defence and security personnel, and combat non-
traditional security challenges such as illegal unreported and unregulated fishing
(IUUF), human and drug trafficking, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
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U.S. and Australian air and naval forces could deploy from Lombrum to respond more
quickly to regional contingencies than if they were lodged in PNG proper or northern
Australia. Lombrum Naval Base for example, could support surveillance of Chinese
vessels visiting or operating from the Solomon Islands.

Q2. What kind of facilities do the United States and Australia want in PNG?
ANSWER: Lombrum Naval Base is currently equipped with two wharves. The longest
is a 125 metre international standard wharf capable of supporting the Guardian-class
patrol boats and U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class cutters. The second wharf is 85 metre
long and can support smaller vessels
Australia and PNG have a longstanding military partnership through Australia’s
Defence Cooperation Program. The current focus on modernising Lombrum’s
infrastructure is part of a multi-year joint initiative by the two government in 2020
valued at $150 million. In addition, Australia gifted PNG four Guardian-class patrol
boats as part of Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Program.
Australia’s infrastructure project includes electricity generation; dental, medical,
training and maintenance and repair facilities; and living accommodation for PNGDF
personnel and visiting military forces. The facilities are being constructed to last two
decades with minimum maintenance. The joint initiative is expected to be completed
by September 2024 and handed over to PNG in November this year.
In November 2018, Vice President Mike Pence attended the APEC Summit in Port
Moresby and announced the U.S. would partner with Australia and PNG to redevelop
Lombrum Naval Base. No funds were allocated by the Trump Administration.
In May 2023, PNG and the United States agreed to a fifteen year Defence Cooperation
Agreement (DCA). In a follow up, Lloyd Austin became the first U.S. Defense Secretary
to visit PNG in July. Austin made clear that the United States was not seeking to
establish permanent basing on Manus Island. The U.S., he said, wanted to “strengthen
PNG’s ability to defend itself and protect its interest.”
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Under the U.S.-PNG DCA, U.S. military personnel have unimpeded access to six
facilities – three airports, two ports and one naval base – for transit, training, and
prepositioning of equipment, supplies and material. The U.S. is not permitted to
station forces permanently in PNG.
In early 2024, the United States was considering three maritime security-related
projects at Lombrum: construction of a 702 square metre Regional Maritime Training
Centre, a small boat Boat Team and Boson facility, and upgrading a 36 metre small
boat jetty.
The U.S.-PNG DCA would assist the PNGDF in training, provide improve the
infrastructure for military facilities, and support humanitarian assistance/disaster
relief in the region.
Q3. Do you think there will be a larger facility there eventually?
ANSWER: The U.S. Defense Department’s Pacific Deterrence Initiative provides
funding for infrastructure expansion and modernisation in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. is
currently funding the expansion of aircraft parking aprons in Darwin, Australia and
Basa Air Base in the Philippines and naval port expansion in Tinian, Northern Mariana
Islands; Yap in Micronesia, and Koror in Palau.
PNG’s Lombrum Naval Base does not have facilities that can support most of the U.S.
Navy’s surface combatants. They can, however, weigh anchor in Lombrum Bay, a
natural harbour as U.S. warships did during World War II.
If China expands its toe hold in the Solomon Island to other South Pacific Island states,
and increases its Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy deployments, it is
conceivable that the U.S. would fund an expansion of naval facilities at Lombrum Naval
Base in response.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Papua New Guinea’s Lombrum Naval Base
Upgrade,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, April 11, 2024. All background briefs
are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the mailing list
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.