US EditionAustralia to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2033
The plan lifts spending to 3% of GDP by 2033 and uses a NATO-style accounting method that includes veterans’ pensions and other costs.
- On Wednesday, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced Australia will lift defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2033, injecting an extra $53 billion over the next decade to address the most complex strategic circumstances since World War Two.
- Adopting NATO's measurement methodology—which includes defence pensions and housing subsidies for retired Australian Defence Force members—the government responds to what Marles describes as increasingly adverse global trends worsening over two years.
- Investment plans allocate $12 billion for the Henderson shipyard precinct under AUKUS, with costs offset by selling 67 military sites and utilizing "alternative financing arrangements" through private capital and government agencies.
- Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson criticized the announcement, claiming the government "plays a lot of games with numbers" while diverting funds to deliver AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines instead of broadly increasing Defence spending.
- Despite the increase, the 3% target remains below the 3.5% level requested by United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leaving Australia under pressure to prove military readiness for modern warfare.
68 Articles
68 Articles
Australia Expands Military Spending as Security Concerns Grow
Australia has announced a significant increase in defence spending, with plans to raise it to 3.0% of GDP by 2033. Defence minister Richard Marles said the move reflects growing instability worldwide, warning that international norms that once constrained the use of force and military coercion continue to erode. He added that more countries are now engaged in conflict “than at any time since the end of World War II,” across multiple regions. Th…
Australian govt. to boost defense spending by $38 bln over next 10 years
The Australian government will increase military spending by 53 billion Australian dollars ($38.1 billion) over the next 10 years under the 2026 national defense strategy (NDS) announced on Thursday. The government said that the increased spending will take Australia's defense budget to 3% of GDP by 2033 under the NATO methodology that includes adjacent spending such as military pensions.
Associated Press News
Australia boosts military spending as Iran war makes global impact
Australia's defense minster says the Iran war had greatly complicated the global strategic landscape and the country is significantly increasing its military spending.
Daily Journal
Australia to boost defence spending citing growing threats
Australia will raise defence spending to 3.0 percent of GDP by 2033 as armed conflicts flare worldwide, the government said Thursday.
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