BL> If we lost Darwin, we would lose the entire North. The nearest
 BL> operational airport would be at Townsville.

 DD> There is a major miliatary airbase some hundred or so
 DD> kilometres south of Darwin, just off the main drag to Alice.
 DD> There are also the remains of several other WWII airbases down
 DD> that highway. I don't think it would take too much to ressurect
 DD> them if necessary. 

  The operational word was "operational". I wondered where the B-52
base was near Darwin, so I gues that's the one you mean.

  It would be really easy to take the north of Australia, once you had
Darwin. Alice Springs would be well within an F-16 umbrella: Darwin,
Weipa, Alice, Mt Isa, Broome... and at the same time, this would
put Indonesia outside our ability to hit back. You are not looking for
an airfield within 100Km. You want one 1500km from Darwin, once they
hold Darwin.

Regards,
Bob
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
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