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Australia Sets 3 Percent Target for Defence Spending Amid Pressure From Trump Administration

The Australian government will spend an extra $53 billion over the next decade.
Australia Sets 3 Percent Target for Defence Spending Amid Pressure From Trump Administration
Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia on April 16, 2026. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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The Albanese Labor government will spend an extra AU$14 billion (US$10 billion) on defence over the next four years, a figure that brings its commitment closer in line with expectations from the Trump administration.

The 2026 National Defence Strategy, released this week, outlines an additional $53 billion over the next decade—a rate of increase that is more rapid than what was promised in the 2024 version of the same document.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.