Canberra, Australia:
Australia on Monday unveiled its biggest military shake-up in decades, with its armed forces refocused on deterring potential enemies far from its shores.
Defense Secretary Richard Marles outlined a future where Australia would have significantly greater range, saying the decades-old territory-based strategy was “no longer fit for purpose”.
Facing a more belligerent China, he said Australia will shift its focus to deterring enemies before they reach shore – at sea, in the air and online.
“Today, for the first time in 35 years, we are reviewing the Australian Defense Force’s mission,” Marles said.
Beijing’s military buildup is now the largest and most ambitious of any nation since World War II, according to the long-awaited strategic review by the Defense Ministry.
“This buildup is taking place with no transparency or reassurance to the Indo-Pacific region of China’s strategic intentions,” the review said, using a different term for the Asia-Pacific.
“China’s assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea threatens the rules-based global order in the Indo-Pacific in a way that harms Australia’s national interests.”
Australia has already announced a key tool in its new strategy: the development of low-profile nuclear-powered long-range submarines.
Building on that, the Australian Defense Force will acquire long-range missile strikes, both airborne and land-based.
There will be a brief independent evaluation of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet this year to ensure its size, structure and composition complement the capabilities of the new nuclear-powered submarines.
The Australian Army will focus more on coastal defences, particularly along the vast north of the country.
As a result, a plan to purchase 450 infantry fighting vehicles will be reduced to just 129.
Australian military planners have viewed China’s military rise with caution, fearing that Beijing’s now massive capabilities could effectively cut Australia off from trading partners and global supply chains.
The return of the great-power strategic competition between China and the United States “should be seen as the defining characteristic of our region and time,” the review said.
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