Budget + Policy

Australian defence acquisitions - debating foreign military sale and direct commercial sale as options for Australia | Max Blenkin

The government is delivering critical capabilities to Defence with new rounds of grants focused on building a sovereign defence industry.

The funding of Australian defence companies is the subject of a new study by the US Studies Centre at Sydney University | Max Blenkin

A new report forecasts Japan’s defence acquisition expenditure will reach a value of $83.4 billion by 2028 | Mike Yeo

The Department of Defence has imposed at short notice a moratorium on contracting of recently separated Defence personnel by defence industry | Nigel Pittaway

Never before have the world’s missile makers experienced such good times, thanks to rising global uncertainty and growing prospects of a great power conflict. That leaves the ADF in a difficult position.

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Regional defence spending on the rise

The DSR has set key directions for the ADF in coming years. A look at our regional neighbours shows that defence budgets are on a similar trajectory, and the regional powerhouse economies have roughly similar capability aspirations to Australia.

Defence has a budget of $50,086 million. That’s a significant amount of money, but the fundamental question is, is it enough?

Defence funding for 2023-24 has exceeded $50 billion for the first time, though the substantial increases foreshadowed in the recent Defence Strategic Review (DSR) won’t appear for a decade.

Australia’s Defence Strategic Review is set to have an impact on New Zealand’s own defence review, the first two parts of which are due to be published this year.

The official responses to the Defence Strategic Review from Australia’s neighbours have been muted, with only the governments of China and Japan speaking on the record in the wake of its release last week.

The DSR has big plans for bases and fuel security across northern Australia, but recommendations for improvements from reviews a decade ago have mostly not been implemented.

Defence’s current approach to capability acquisition is not suitable given our strategic circumstance, the DSR says.

The ADF must move away from a ‘balanced’ force structure and towards a ‘focused’ force according to the findings of the Defence Strategic Review.

In order to imperil an adversary in Australia’s area of interest, the ADF will need a diverse array of missiles for long range strike - and the government has moved quickly.

The following is a joint press release by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.