The United States plans to increase its troop and aircraft rotations through Australia. The announcement came after talks between Australian and US foreign and defence ministers in Washington DC. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said China's "dangerous and coercive action" in the region threatened regional peace and stability. "Based upon today's talks, we will increase rotational presence of US forces in Australia," Mr Austin told reporters. "That includes rotations of bomber task forces, fighters and future rotations of US Navy and Army capabilities. We will also expand our logistics and sustainment co-operation." Since 2012, US Marines and equipment have come to Darwin during the dry season for activities, combined exercises and training with Australian Defence Force personnel and regional partners. The number of Marines on rotation has grown from 200 a decade ago to 2200 this year. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the alliance with the United States was central to Australia's national security. "There is a huge sense of alignment between the Biden administration and the Albanese government in the trajectory of the alliance and there is an enormous sense of gratitude that we have in the way in which America is engaging in the Indo-Pacific." He said the "precarious" strategic environment made it all the more important to work together. "We see the pressure that the global rules-based order has been placed under with Russia's appalling, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, but we see pressure being placed on the global rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific as well." Former chief of army Peter Leahy said the increased rotations could reach up to 10,000 US troops in Australia, with the country likely to reclaim its "aircraft carrier of the Pacific" status. "The Americans are going to be very generous - they know that they need us, they need the location," he told the ABC on Wednesday. He said a study had found Australia was a "strategic and geographic sweet spot". Mr Leahy said he had some skepticism about when Australia would get nuclear-powered submarines. Australian Associated Press