Australia Is In Arms Race

[RAMROD 117,337]

Australia will be armed with long-range missiles for the first time as part of a $270 billion build-up of the Defence Force over the next decade as the Morrison government looks to keep up with the regional arms race being fuelled by China's militarisation.

Signalling a more aggressive posture to deter potential adversaries, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will declare on Wednesday that Australia will never surrender its sovereignty nor seek to intimidate neighbours.

The defence strategy update and force structure review were commissioned last year off the back of alarm among defence planners that the key trends identified in the 2016 defence white paper were accelerating, namely the pace at which countries were militarising and advances in weapons technology.

The update creates three new strategic objectives for the ADF: shaping the environment by working with like-minded nations to ensure regional peace and prosperity; possessing sufficient strength to deter adversaries; and having a credible military force to respond if attacked.

Mr. Morrison ordered the ADF to prioritise its geographical focus on the immediate region in an arc ranging from the north-east Indian Ocean through to south-east Asia to the south-west Pacific.

While Mr Morrison will say Australia remains prepared to make contributions outside the immediate region, including to US-led coalitions, his comments represent a significant shift from Australia's involvement in Afghanistan and the Middle East over the past two decades which has dominated decisions over the force structure.

As relations with China plummet to new lows, Mr Morrison will say Australia must be prepared to defend its values.

The review affirms the need for 12 new submarines, nine frigates and hundreds of armoured vehicles but will also see billions spent on space and cyber warfare, increasing the ADF's "lethality".

Mr. Morrison will unveil a commitment to the acquisition of long-range weapons, confirming as a starting point the purchase of up to 200 long-range missiles from the US Navy for $800 million.

The Long Range Anti-Ship Missile has a range of 370km, more than double the distance the Harpoon missiles in service with the Australian navy have, and will be fitted to the RAAF's fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornets from next year.

 

Full article at Source:

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/new-missiles-for-defence-in-270b-arms-build-up-20200630-p557kg

 

 

[FfFfFfFF 58,392]

In 2020 only it terms of possible conflicts we had Iran threatening US to start WW3, Australia under cybernetic attack, China and India tensions at the border and now this

[thatfoxyfeeling 13,410]

Yet he has the cheek to come out and say people on Jobseeker payment are lazy and can't be bothered to find a job during a pandemic. 

[Seeka 12,372]

Do we even need weapons anymore? Can't we just resolve things through something other than war? Half the world has nuclear bombs. 

The entire world is connected through the internet. We're almost global citizens now. It's ridiculous that we even need such things outside of terrorism. 

[River 127,843]

I thought that it's about a race with arms

 

[PopRoyalty 180]

USA instigated World War 3 by killing the Iranian Vice President and now China with its military threat tactics. World war 3 is brewing and economic collapse coming.

[NathanC 938]

2020, the gift that keeps on giving.

[MelbHawker 6,583]

Honestly, half his country is jobless and about to lose their homes and livelihoods and he's putting $$ into weapons to what.. scare China? 

What a time to be alive.