David Gray AFP
Australia on Tuesday outlined a 10-year plan to double its fleet of major warships and increase defense spending by an additional $7 billion in the face of an accelerating arms race in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the plan, Australia would have 26 major surface combatants, up from the current 11.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said: “This is the largest fleet we have had since the end of World War II.”
The announcement came after major firepower buildups by rivals China and Russia, and amid an escalating conflict between nervous US-led allies and an increasingly belligerent authoritarian government. .
Australia will acquire six Hunter-class frigates, 11 general purpose frigates, three air combat destroyers and six state-of-the-art surface warships that do not require crews.
At least some fleets will be equipped with Tomahawk missiles capable of long-range strikes against targets deep inside enemy territory, providing a major deterrent.
Under the plan, Australia would increase defense spending to 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP), higher than the 2% target set by NATO allies.
Some ships will be built in Adelaide, securing more than 3,000 jobs, while others will be sourced from US designs, with designs yet to be determined from Spain, Germany, South Korea or Japan. is.
Australia announced plans to buy at least three US-designed nuclear-powered submarines in 2021, canceling a multi-year program to develop French non-nuclear submarines that had already cost billions of dollars.
Experts say that taken together, Australia is poised to develop significant naval capabilities.
