Australia’s Defence Spending Not Enough to Cope With War, Think Tank Warns

A $50 billion budget increase will still leave the country vulnerable if there’s hostilities in the Indo-Pacific, the Australian Strategic Policy Instute warns.

Australian Army soldiers from 10th Force Support Battalion's Amphibious Beaching Team await the arrival of troops on an Lighter Landing Craft during Exercise Trident 2022 near Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Courtesy of the Australian Defence Force

The government’s plan to add an additional $50 billion (US$33 billion) to defence spending over the next decade will not enable Australia to scale up its defence should there be a threat in the region in the short term, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Its latest report says more immediate funding is also needed to ensure the “swift increases in capabilities that the Australian Defence Force [ADF] would need if our region were to deteriorate quickly.”