I've followed up a little on our own newish defence minister, who has become the spokesperson and intermediary for US policy in Australia. She worked for Raytheon Australia back in 2005, in the midst of 25 odd years with the Australian army. No doubt she still has links and contacts, like the FM Marise Payne, also ex forces. It so happens that the new intermediate missiles being readied for deployment in Asia, or even Australia, against China, are made by Raytheon in the US. It also appears that these missiles were brought here for the recent Talisman Sabre war games in QLD, which finished only a week before Pompeo's visit. Apparently they are still here, even though the US says they won't be asking OZ to base them here. (They'll just do it without asking, to avoid embarrassment) Linda Reynolds also worked on some joint space program with NASA, while in the ADF.