Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles announced an additional investment of 50 billion Australian dollars ($32 million) in defence over the next decade.
This funding boost is part of an effort to reshape Australia’s military into a more “focused” force amid escalating strategic tensions between the U.S. and China.
Marles introduced the country’s first National Defence Strategy, a document created following a 2023 review that criticized the current state of the Australian defence forces as “not fully fit for purpose” due to worsening regional strategic conditions.
According to Marles, Australia requires a military that can secure sea trade routes and maintain regional security, with the majority of its operations concentrated in these areas.
He highlighted the period since World War II as the most strategically complex, prompting the most significant reassessment of Australia’s strategic posture in 35 years.
Marles explained that the threat of invasion is unlikely because adversaries can inflict significant damage without setting foot on Australian soil.
Central to the new defence strategy is a stronger navy and the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through the AUKUS agreement, a collaboration with the U.S. and the U.K. This strategy aims to prevent any forceful coercion against Australia.
Over the next four years, an additional AU$5.7 billion will be allocated to defence, beyond previous budgets, including AU$1 billion for developing long-range missile capabilities and investing in robotic and autonomous systems.
The 80-page strategy document released also pointed out China’s use of coercive tactics to achieve its strategic goals, noting an increased risk of conflict in areas like the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
The document anticipates that China will continue to assert a more dominant role in the region and leverage its growing strategic and economic influence.
The 2024 Integrated Investment Program (IIP), which was also unveiled, outlines defence capability and investment priorities over the coming decade.
It commits at least AU$330 billion to defence, increasing the share of GDP allocated to defence to approximately 2.4% by 2034, up from the current 2%.
Defence analyst Jennifer Parker noted that the AU$50 billion increase includes some funds previously announced but represents a genuine increase in defence spending.
However, Parker cautioned that despite these investments, there will be a period of vulnerability as many new capabilities will not be operational until the late 2030s to 2040s.
She questioned whether the timing and amount of the funding were sufficient, stressing the need for public transparency about the risks involved.
