Australian Defence ‘Porcupine’ to Bristle With New Layer of Weapons

An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) being prepared for a training exercise as part of AUV Summerfest at HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay, ACT on Dec 3, 2019. Australian Department of Defence

Australia looks set to add another layer to its growing “porcupine” of defences amid increasing tensions from Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Defence Department has confirmed the government is considering the purchase of nearly $1 billion (US$700 million) worth of sea mines that will be deployed in the nation’s waters.