Australia is planning to build a new deep-water port on its northern coast able to accommodate US Marine deployments, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Monday.

The national broadcaster quoted multiple defense and government officials as saying the facility would be about 40 kilometers from Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory.

The Darwin port already includes military facilities and hosts visiting US ships, but the ABC said the new port would offer large amphibious warships a more discreet and less busy base of operations.

US Marine units of more than 2,000 troops regularly rotate through Darwin as part of the close military cooperation between the two allies.

Both Australia and the US have been building up their military presence across the western Pacific. The ABC said the new Australian port would include commercial and industrial operations in addition to facilities for military activities.

An announcement concerning the port could come in the next few weeks to coincide with the height of the Talisman Sabre US-Australian military exercise, ABC said.

Occurring every two years, Talisman Sabre is a major exercise reflecting the closeness of the alliance and strength of the enduring military relationship. This year's drill will run from late June to early August, including the initial surge of equipment and people and their subsequent departure after the exercise, according to Australian Department of Defense.