"From a base in Indonesia, this would give the Russian air force the ability to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions during Australian military exercises, gather data on military installations in the Northern Territory (which also host US Marines), and even conduct surveillance on US military activities in Guam," he said.

Moscow and Jakarta have sought to deepen their military ties in recent years, which should give Australia some reason for concern.

Indonesia won’t allow Russian planes to be stationed on its territory, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said following earlier reports that Moscow had requested permission to access a provincial base in the archipelago.