The Australian federal government has pledged $747 million (US $578 million) to upgrade four military training facilities in the Northern Territory, in time for war gaming exercises with the United States and allies. Prime Minister Scott Morrison flew to Darwin for the announcement saying the spend was critical to provide Australian soldiers with the best technology and training, and to also confront a “challenging global environment.” “Working with the United States, our allies, and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia’s interests by investing in the Australian Defence Force, particularly across northern Australia,” Morrison told reporters. “Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom,” he added. The prime minister said the announcement was unrelated to China. “All of our objectives through the activities of our defence forces is designed to pursue peace. That is the objective of …