Australia Building ‘Larger More Aggressive’ Military With Hike in Defence Budget

Australia has pledged to build a much larger and more powerful military and significantly increase defence expenditures, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing on July 1st a commitment to spend 270 billion Australian dollars ($186 USD) over the next decade on new armaments including more strike weapons, cyber capabilities and an underwater surveillance system. The new investments will be focused primarily on the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean, and come as Canberra has moved to play a leading role in supporting the United States against potential adversaries in the region - most notably China. The Prime Minister’s speech has strongly implied that China will be the primary target of the defence spending boost, with the government expected to soon confirm a major contract for the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile to support patrols in the Western Pacific aimed at backing U.S. efforts against the Chinese Navy. Australia is also set to house facilities for new U.S. B-21 strategic stealth bombers, providing a safer position to operate from than Japan or Guam which is still considerably closer to targets in Northeast Asia than the U.S. mainland itself. Australian analysts have also raised the possibly of purchasing B-21 bombers from the U.S., although prospects for this currently appear slim.