Australia announced it will more than double its fleet of warships, a boost that will give the country its “largest fleet” since World War 2, its Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
The Australian Navy can currently rely on 11 surface combatant ships. Under the new plan, it will be able to boast 26.
Australia is set to get six Hunter-class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates, three air warfare destroyers and six state-of-the-art surface warships.
Some of these vessels will be armed with Tomahawk missiles, considered a deterrent due to their capability to hit targets deep into enemy territory.
A few ships will be built in Adelaide, ensuring more than 3,000 jobs, while others will be sourced from US designs and another still undecided design.
Over the course of the next 10 years, the nation will increase its defence spending by an additional £5.7billion (A$11.1bn), Australia has also announced.
While Europe is concerned with Russia becoming an increased threat to its security, Australia is eyeing China, the aggressivity of which against Taiwan and in the South China Sea has been noted.
Australia is only one of the countries in the world that are raising their defence spending.
Within NATO, 18 nations out of 31 – including the UK – are expected to reach the 2 percent spending target this year, up from 11 in 2023 and a six-fold increase from 2014.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the data saying: “We are making real progress. European allies are spending more. However, some allies still have a way to go.”
While the amount allocated to defence and security varies within the countries, this surge shows the Western world is taking seriously the threats coming from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
A more serious attitude towards security has been embraced also in the European Union, as recently noted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
She told Euronews: “Europe has got stronger, because we all understand how important it is to have a sound security spending and to be able to provide security and defend ourselves.
“Look at the investment in security and defence, last year it was around £239billion (€280bn), this year it is already projected to be £299.59bn (€350bn). There is an increase.”
