American nuclear submarines could call Australia home if a proposal by two of Australia's leading Defence experts is included in the 2014 Defence White Paper.
Former Defence Department secretaries Allan Hawke and Ric Smith have called for billions of dollars to be spent to protect Australia's approaches and keep the fast emerging ''energy belt'' safe from attack.
One of their suggestions, released in the interim report of the Force Posture Review, is for the submarine facilities at Fleetbase West - Perth's HMAS Stirling - to be upgraded so they can be used to support US nuclear submarines.
The report moots Brisbane as the probable site for a second naval base and urges upgrades to port facilities at Exmouth, Dampier, Port Hedland and Broome to make them more accessible to Australian and allied warships.
A major naval base at Brisbane would allow Australia to respond more speedily to natural disasters to the north.
While American SSNs - nuclear attack submarines - have been using HMAS Stirling for the better part of two decades, they have had to make do with wharf and support facilities geared specifically to the needs of the Royal Australian Navy's conventionally powered Collins fleet.
Professor Ross Babbage, the founder of the Kokoda Foundation and the general manager of Strategy International, said the increased use of Australian bases by US nuclear submarines could make people ask why Australia wasn't prepared to operate its own nuclear submarines.
He said that in addition to Perth, US nuclear submarines were cleared to put in at Darwin, Jervis Bay, Brisbane and Hobart.
''Why would people object to Australia having nuclear submarines given their bigger capacities and capabilities when we have already allowed a close ally to operate them here?'' he asked.
Current Labor policy rules out any consideration of a nuclear option in $36billion replacement of the Collins fleet.
Mr Smith said the Defence Force Posture Review - which has been carried out in conjunction with a global force positioning review by the US - recognised the world was coming to Australia.
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