Australia recommends changes to its defense forces, potentially shifting its military policy
The decision comes amid a rapidly changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region
It also comes as the United States' dominance in the region is slowly fading
The Australian government has reviewed the country's military readiness and recommended sweeping changes to the nation's defense forces, potentially shifting Canberra's military policy.
The decision comes as Australia is trying to adjust to a rapidly changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Furthermore, the latest development comes amid the slowly fading dominance of the United States in the region.
Australia's Shift in Military Policy
The Defense Strategic Review, which authorities released on Monday in the country's capital, said that Australia's military is not "fit for purpose" as it is now. It gave recommendations on how the government should prioritize funding, focusing on the purchase of long-range missiles and military drones while also bolstering domestic defense manufacturing, as per Bloomberg.
Authorities ordered the review of defense strategy and military spending shortly after the center-left Labor government took power in May 2022. The decision was made partly due to concerns over lengthy delays in acquiring new vehicles and weaponry for the country's military.
The review, which was conducted by a former foreign minister and defense chief, found that Australia is now faced with a "radically different" strategic environment. This includes a military build-up of Chinese forces that are considered the "largest and most ambitious" any country has done since the end of World War II.
Furthermore, the United States, a close ally of Australia, is no longer the "unipolar leader of the Indo-Pacific" region. Now, Canberra is recasting its military forces' mission, something that has not been done in the last three and a half decades, said Defense Minister Richard Marles.
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was accepting the review's key findings and recommendations, according to the Straits Times.
A Defense Strategic Review
However, the review noted that there is only a small chance of any global power conducting an invasion of the continent but argued that the threat of military force or coercion against Canberra would not require an invasion.
The recent review also cited threats that sought to impact trade routes, cyber warfare, and long-range missile strikes. These are all developments that would drastically reduce the country's geographic benefits of the "comfort of distance."
Previously, Australia's defense strategy focused on low-level conflict, which the review claims is no longer suitable for the current situation. The new approach is a focus on national defense, which would have authorities prepare for potential threats that are rapidly rising in the region, including major power competition and the prospect of conflict.
Now, the defense force of the country will have five responsibilities, which are; defending the country, deterring adversaries through denial, protecting Australia's economic connection with the region and worldwide, collective security of the Indo-Pacific region, and continued maintenance of the international rules-based order, said The Guardian.
