AUKUS Will ‘Cannibalise’ Military Spending: Former Defence Chief

Former Defence Force Chief Angus Houston has called for a rise to 3 percent in military spending, without which the cost of AUKUS will drain too much in funds.

Sir Angus Houston during a memorial service honouring victims of flight MH17 in Canberra, Australia, on July 17, 2015. Stefan Postles/Getty Images

Australia’s commitment to purchasing nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact—forecast to cost up to $368 billion (US$239.8 billion) between now and the mid-2050s—risks “cannibalising” necessary military spending, former Chief of the Defence Force Sir Angus Houston has warned.

Speaking to the U.S. Studies Centre (USSC) Sydney, he said the only way to avoid depriving other arms of the military would be for Australia to immediately increase its defence spending to 3 percent or more of GDP.