DEFENCE POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Australia to streamline information sharing with US to seal subs deal

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Original article by Farrah Tomazin
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Oct-23

The federal government will legislate changes to the nation’s export control laws as part of its deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines via the AUKUS alliance. The proposed reforms will make it easier for Australia to share sensitive information and technology with its partners in the alliance; it is also hoped that they will help ease the concerns of some US Congress members about providing Australia with classified information regarding the US nuclear program. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says US politicians from all sides understand the value of AUKUS and want "to get it right".

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

$368b unremarkable, says Marles

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 15-Mar-23

The federal government has disclosed that the deal to acquire nuclear-power submarines will cost $9bn over the next four years and up to $58bn over the next decade. However, this will be offset by savings elsewhere in the defence budget. The nuclear submarines program is slated to cost between $268bn and $368bn over the next 30 years, which Defence Minister Richard Marles has described as an "unremarkable amount" for any major government policy over three decades. In contrast, the National Disability Insurance Scheme is expected to cost some $2trn over the same period.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Russia, China bristle at Cold War pact

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Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 5 : 15-Mar-23

The Taiwanese government has welcomed Australia’s deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, stating that it will help redress the "military imbalance" across the Taiwan Strait. However, the deal has been criticised by Chinese and Russian officials. China’s Foreign Ministry has described the AUKUS alliance as "typical Cold War mentality" that will undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation system. Russia in turn has warned that the alliance will ensure "years of confrontation" in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Professor Chen Hong of the East China Normal University says Australia has officially put itself on the People’s Liberation Army’s "defence radar".

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Australia faces the threat of war with China within three years – and we’re not ready

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Original article by Peter Hartcher, Matthew Knott
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 7-Mar-23

The federal government’s review of Australia’s defence needs will soon be released, and it will have consulted a number of experts. They include some who have conducted their own review on behalf of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, with their review concluding that the overwhelming source of danger to Australia is from China. The experts suggest that Australia faces the prospect of war with China in as little as three years’ time, and that Australia is not prepared for such a conflict. China has long stated its desire to reclaim Taiwan, and has indicated that it is prepared to take military action to do so. US President Joe Biden has committed to coming to Taiwan’s help if it is invaded, and Australia would be expected to lend its support.

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Billions more in military spending won’t be enough to counter China: Morrison

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 7-Mar-23

Former prime minister Scott Morrison says Australia’s defence budget should be increased to at least 2.5 per cent of GDP, compared with less than two per cent at present. Morrison contends that a big increase in defence spending is needed in order to counter the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific region; however, he concedes that Australia could not hope to defeat China in a military conflict, so alliances with countries such as the US and India are vital. The Chinese government recently revealed plans to increase its defence spending by seven per cent in 2023, to $330 billion. In contrast, Australia’s annual defence budget is currently $48.7bn, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to lift this to more than two per cent of GDP.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Whatever it takes on Defence: PM

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Feb-23

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will emphasise the importance of the AUKUS alliance in a major national security speech on Wednesday. He will stress that the alliance extends beyond nuclear submarines and technological interoperability, contending that it presents a "whole-of-nation" opportunity for new jobs, industries and expertise in sectors such as science and technology. Albanese will also state that the federal government will ensure that Australia’s defence forces have the resources that are needed to defend the nation and deter potential aggressors.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Defence review trigger pulled

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-23

The federal government will consider the final report of the Defence Strategic Review in coming weeks, after receiving it on Tuesday. Amongst other things, former defence chief Angus Houston and ex-defence minister Stephen Smith are believed to have recommended investing in military drones, unmanned submarines and warships that are equipped with guided missiles. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the review will "underpin defence policy for decades to come". He adds that the report has been delivered against the backdrop of the most complex strategic landscape that Australia has faced since the end of the Second World War.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Government prepares to unveil AUKUS plan

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

The federal government is expected to shortly announce which nuclear-powered submarine design it would opt for under the AUKUS alliance. Defence Minister Richard Marles will receive the recommendations of the submarine taskforce in coming weeks, as well as the final version of a strategic review of the nation’s defence forces. Marles says he is prepared to make difficult decisions regarding defence spending in response to the strategic review. However, he stresses that the government will ensure that the nation avoids a ‘capability gap’ between the retirement of the Collins-class submarines and the delivery of their nuclear-powered replacements.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Mining, defence top agenda on PM’s Perth visit

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Mar-22

The federal government will provide four critical minerals projects with funding via its $1.3 billion modern manufacturing initiative. The $243m funding package will be announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his trip to Western Australia; the projects include a battery material refinery hub near Kalgoorlie and a rare earth separation plant in the Northern Territory. Industry Minister Angus Taylor says the government support is aimed at addressing China’s global dominance of critical minerals supply. Morrison has also announced a $4.3bn upgrade of the Henderson naval shipyards in WA.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE, ENERGY AND RESOURCES

Australia wrote to Naval Group noting progress on submarines a week before contract was cancelled

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 22-Dec-21

The federal government’s decision to terminate a contract to buy French-designed conventional submarines has attracted renewed scrutiny. It has been revealed that the Department of Defence sent a three-page letter to Naval Group in early September in which it noted the successful completion of one of the six conditions for the government to move to the next stage of the $90bn project. The letter was sent just eight days before the government cancelled Naval Group’s contract and agreed to buy nuclear-powered submarines under a new defence alliance with the US and the UK.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, NAVAL GROUP