Regular rotations of America's newest nuclear-capable stealth bomber, and even a possible future Australian purchase of the B-21 aircraft, are expected to be discussed during high level talks between both nations this week.
At a tightly controlled ceremony in California on Friday, the United States Air Force publicly unveiled the B-21 Raider, in front of an audience that included the Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years, designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, with each plane believed to cost around $1 billion (AUD).
Specific details of the in-development aircraft remain shrouded in secrecy with six currently being produced by US arms company Northrop Grumman and the first flight expected to take place next year.
"Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft. And even the most sophisticated air-defence systems will struggle to detect a B-21 in the sky," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the unveiling.
RAAF Chief, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, who attended last week's unveiling ceremony at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale facility with his British counterpart, described the event as "an awesome display of US innovation and industrial power".
The Defence Department is yet to confirm whether Air Marshal Chipman discussed future deployments of the B-21 to Australia with American officials while in the United States, or an eventual purchase of the long-range aircraft by the RAAF.
Defence Minister Richard Marles, who has previously suggested the B-21 is being examined by Australia in the Defence Strategic Review, has just arrived in the United States for talks with Secretary Austin.
RAAF figures believe the B-21 could provide an effective option for Australia to hold potential adversaries at bay over long distances but concede it would be well into the next decade before the aircraft could be acquired.
This week Mr Marles will join Foreign Minister Penny Wong for the annual AUSMIN talks with their US counterparts, as well as the first AUKUS meeting of Defence Ministers which will focus on Australia's plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
When asked during a visit to Canberra in August whether the US would consider selling the B-21s to Australia, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said his country "would be willing to talk to Australia about anything that there was an interest in from the Australian perspective that we could help them with".
"I'm pretty sure you will see Australia ask for the B-21, and the United States I can tell you, is very interested in selling them to Australia," says Sydney-based American military author Colin Clark, who writes for the Breaking Defense publication.
"Regardless of whether they are armed with nuclear weapons or are under Australian command, I am almost certain, emphasis on almost, that B-21s will at least rotate regularly through Australia and they may well be based here permanently."
Retired Air Commodore John Oddie, a former RAAF director-general of aerospace development, also believes the B-21 is eventually destined for Australia.
"B-21 is a great way to create uncertainty for others that may wish to hold Australia at risk for any reason, B-21 gives us speed and reach and capacity (payload)," he told the ABC.
At the same time, Commodore Oddie is pushing for Australia to ditch plans to replace and double the size of its existing C-130J cargo planes, in favour of the newer Brazilian-made Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft.
He argues by acquiring a modified KC-390 the RAAF would be able to expand its air refuelling capability to support more of the existing F-35 fleet in combat missions, and eventually be able to release additional fuel for any future B-21 aircraft.
The US Air Force plans to build 100 of the B-21 Raiders which will replace the ageing B-1 and B-2 aircraft, and could eventually be used with or without a human crew.
Both the US Air Force and Northrop Gruman have heralded the Raider's relatively quick development, progressing from contract award to public debut in seven years.
