According to the Prime Minister, this military strengthening is explained by the “threats and environment we face as a country, as a liberal democracy in the Indo-Pacific”.
Australia will strengthen the staff of its army by 30% by 2040, announced, Thursday, March 10, its Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Australian defense forces will reach 80,000 people, a reinforcement of 18,500 soldiers, at a cost of some $ 38 billion (about 25 billion euros), he declared during a press conference in a barracks in Brisbane.
According to Mr. Morrison, it is “the largest increase” of the defense forces’ staff “in peacetime in the history of Australia”. This military reinforcement, according to him, according to him the recognition by his Government “threats and environment that we face as a country, as a liberal democracy in the Indo-Pacific”.
growing influence from China
Australia announced in September 2021 that it would acquire nuclear-propulsion submarines as part of a new defense alliance between Australia, Great Britain and the United States. Aukus. Mr. Morrison said that part of the new staff would support the future fleet of submarines.
Australia has indicated its intention to equip these conventional weapons submarines and must still decide whether it opts for a fleet based on British or American nuclear submarines.
Decided to cope with China’s growing influence in the Pacific, the Aukus will make Australia the only non-nuclear power to have submarines capable of performing long distances without the need to redo surface.
The new numbers will allow a credible deterrence against expansionist military threats, welcomed the Minister of Defense Peter Dutton.
“The lessons of history”
In addition to submarines, the new forces will be deployed in the areas of space, cyberoperations, marine buildings and land and maritime autonomous vehicles, “said Dutton.
“It’s absolutely necessary,” he insisted, evoking the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
“Those who believe that President Putin’s ambition is limited to Ukraine do not understand history, that our military leaders understand”.
The Minister of Defense reiterated his warnings on the strategic threat to Australia in the Asia-Pacific region, where China increases its power.
“If people think that ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region are limited to Taiwan and there will be no impact if we do not have a deterrent effect and if we do not work closely together With our colleagues and our allies, so they do not understand the lessons of history, “launched Mr. Dutton.
The Australian Conservative government has boasted its balance sheet in terms of the election approach, while a series of surveys give the Labor opposition. But the executive has been criticized for having slowed to send troops on the east coast of the country to help the population affected by floods that have died.