Stuck between superpowers: How Australia navigates the China-US rivalry

It's a paradox that most people are well aware of - which is probably why we've been invited to report on what Australia is doing to protect itself but nobody is willing to say whom they're preparing to fight."We're rehearsing for a war - the worst type of war - a World War Two-like war, a World War One-type war, a total war," says Brigadier McLennan, preferring to remain vague when asked who the enemy is.Binding tighter to the USThe war scenario playing out before us is part of a major joint exercise known as "Southern Jackaroo" - a training programme involving the Australian, American and Japanese armed forces aimed at strengthening defence co-operation across the Indo-Pacific."We like to call ourselves America's 911 response force," US Marine Kevin Hicks says.And in terms of numbers, they are more prepared than ever. In 2012, just 200 US Marines were deployed to Australia for an annual six-month deployment. Today, that figure has risen to around 2,500.A quick read of Australia's 2026 National Defence Strategy gives you an easy answer as to why these numbers are growing."Intense competition between major powers – principally the United States and China – will be an enduring feature of our strategic environment," it said.