The Australian government on Wednesday released its inaugural National Defence Strategy, which sets out a fundamentally new approach to the defence of Australia and its interests.
Developed in response to last year’s Defence Strategic Review, the 2024 National Defence Strategy outlines the government’s strategic framework to guide the significant and urgent changes required to address Australia’s challenging strategic circumstances.
Together with the rebuilt Integrated Investment Program, the National Defence Strategy is a blueprint to deliver an ambitious transformation of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to an integrated, focused force capable of safeguarding Australia’s security for decades to come.
National Defence
Australia faces the most complex and challenging strategic environment since the Second World War. It demands a coordinated, whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to Australia’s defence.
This new approach is founded on National Defence – a concept that harnesses all arms of Australia’s national power to achieve an integrated approach to our security.
The National Defence Strategy sees a Strategy of Denial become the cornerstone of Defence planning. This approach guides Defence’s contribution to national defence and spans all domains – maritime, land, air, space and cyber.
The adoption of National Defence also means the ADF will shift to an integrated, focused force designed to address Australia’s most significant strategic risks. This will ensure the ADF has the capacity to:
- Defend Australia and our immediate region;
- Deter through denial any potential adversary’s attempt to project power against Australia through our northern approaches;
- Protect Australia’s economic connection to the region and the world;
- Contribute with our partners to the collective security of the Indo-Pacific; and
- Contribute with our partners to the maintenance of the global rules-based order.
Budget
Underpinning the National Defence Strategy is a generational investment in the ADF’s posture, capability and structure. Since the release of the Defence Strategic Review last year, the Albanese Government is investing an additional $5.7 billion over the next four years and $50.3 billion over the next decade in Defence funding, above the previous trajectory over that period.
These additional investments include:
- $11.1 billion over the next decade to deliver the Government’s response to the independent analysis of Navy’s surface combatant fleet;
- $1 billion over the next four years to accelerate ADF preparedness including for long-range strike, targeting and autonomous systems; and
- $38.2 billion over the next decade to fund the rebuilt IIP and accelerate and sustain priority capabilities.
This increase in annual funding will see the Defence budget grow to more than $100 billion by 2033-34 – an historic investment, critical to giving effect to the National Defence Strategy.
The Albanese Government’s investment in the Defence portfolio will see overall funding reach $765 billion over the decade, including $330 billion for the capability investments outlined today.
Comparatively, the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan outlined $270 billion for the 10-year period to 2029-30.
Not only is the Albanese Government growing the Defence budget, but we are ensuring this money will be spent more wisely to deliver the capabilities we need.
People
People are Defence’s most important asset. As the ADF transitions to an integrated, focused force, Defence must recruit, retain and grow the highly specialised and skilled workforce it needs to meet the objectives of National Defence.
The Albanese Government has already introduced several key initiatives to improve recruitment and retention, including the ADF Continuation Bonus, better access to study opportunities and more health benefits.
While these are important steps, we recognise the need for a fundamental transformation of Defence’s recruitment and retention system.
The National Defence Strategy calls for a widening of eligibility criteria to enable more people to join the ADF including developing options, where appropriate, to recruit non-Australian citizens; streamlining and improving the recruiting system; and encouraging personnel to serve longer through retention initiatives.
To address these challenges, Defence will develop a new, comprehensive workforce plan this year that will be aligned with the National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program to help meet current and future workforce needs.
Partnerships
Under the National Defence Strategy, Defence will adopt a more focused approach to its international engagement. These efforts will protect Australia’s economic connection to the world and help shape a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.
Australia’s Alliance with the United States remains fundamental to our national security. The Albanese Government is committed to deepening and expanding our defence cooperation with the United States, and working together with the United Kingdom under the auspices of AUKUS.
The Government is also deeply focused on enhancing Australia’s defence relationships across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as well as in the Indian Ocean and North Asia regions.
The path forward
The National Defence Strategy is a reflection of the Government’s foundational thinking on defence policy. It outlines a coherent, sensible and logical plan – one that is built on strong foundations and hard decisions, and backed up with the necessary funding.
It will be updated biennially alongside the Integrated Investment Program to ensure defence policy, strategy, capability and planning keeps pace with the rapidly evolving strategic environment.
The next National Defence Strategy will be published in 2026.
The 2024 National Defence Strategy is available here.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “The inaugural National Defence Strategy sets out a clear and priority-driven approach to protecting against threats to Australia and our interests. The National Defence Strategy outlines how we are transforming the ADF and equipping it to survive in a much less certain world. These transformational reforms are designed to ensure that peace, security, and prosperity are maintained in our region. The Albanese Government is making an historic investment in Defence and has taken tough decisions to reshape the ADF to meet our strategic circumstances and to keep Australians safe.”
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Biggest RAN surface fleet since WW2 but insufficient supply and refuelling ships to keep them going?
No it’s the other way. The number of surface ships shrinks with the retirement of two Anzacs and the AWDs going into refit one at a time from 2026. That’s why SEA 2200 for logistic support ships has been axed – you don’t need supply ships if there’s nothing to supply. The fleet will only grow again when the third or fourth GP frigate is delivered. That could be done by 2030 if the acquisition were brilliantly managed using world’s best practice, but somehow it’s hard to believe that will happen.
I see the “logic” now but I will bet my last dollar that;
1. There’s not a single new GP Frigate by 2030 and
2. When they do eventually start being delivered, if ever, we won’t have ordered the requisite supply ships to enable at sea supply
We still have the 2 Supply class AORs from Navantia and they should be sufficient until we get into the 2040s.
This all sounds really great but talk is cheap. The Minister talks about no longer having 10 years to prepare for any conflict, then talks about having the ability to defend against that conflict in the distant future. He also talks a lot about the Integrated Investment Program but fails to mention anything concrete happening. The “promise” of a Defence Budget increase is also ambiguous as it fails to mention where the money will come from, there aren’t a lot of projects left to cut,defer or downsize ( Projects that aren’t with the U.S.A. anyway) . Australia needs its Defence Force ready now, every thing that’s been promised is years away ( supposedly HIMARS a will start delivery 2025 but missile production won’t begin untill after we delivery ) and the way DoD runs they may never even arrive at all. Drastic measures need to be taken but unfortunately we don’t have a Min of Def that actually wants the job or a DoD that could organise a child’s birthday party at McDonalds. My suggestion is use the money to teach our future generations to speak Chinese.
You are correct – and I have been surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reporting on this topic, which as far as I can tell just rehashes and re-announces stuff that was either in the DSR or the Surface Fleet Review. An immediate injection of $1 billion will be quickly absorbed – and the extra $11 billion over 10 years will be entirely consumed by the new General Purpose Frigate project. Unfortunately because of the long lead times involved in buying any complex military systems we are up shit creek for at least the next 10 years. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong.
While the cuts had been already announced (particularly the IFV’s) it appears what Marles has announced signifies an actual increase in defence spending. However, Defence has been Australian governments whipping boy for decades. A maverick Defence Dept. that has consistently made poor decisions (with the government of the day) from helicopters to naval ships. No heads roll, no one is to blame, no fixing up of a serious and constant complete lack of culpability when it comes to defence decisions. The right decisions on numbers and materiel are far outweighed by inept and almost criminal neglect by faceless senior uniformed and non uniformed bureaucrats.
Australia no longer has the luxury of time on it’s side. The lost decade in not acquiring the force needed to make it unviable for a foreign nation to harm Australia is well and truly gone. The first cutting of steel for an Australian general purpose frigate is at best, 12 months away and without any increase in RAAF aircraft numbers announced (except ironically for new VIP aircraft) the ability for Australia to project force will be the responsibility of the navy alone.
When a nation such as Poland that historically has been affected by military threats from both the East and West it does not meander and navel gaze on what it sees as a direct threat of Russia. Too many to mention here, but it has significantly increased defence spending and the acquisition of the equipment it feels necessary to counter Russia. Australian politicians now appear to be “brave” enough to mention China as an existential threat to Australia and the Pacific. If only they had the foresight of a country such as Poland that knows what it’s like to hear the drums of war beating louder. Australia cannot afford to pontificate as it has in the past, that time has well and truly passed.
The additional $1 billion a year to the Defence budget for the next four years barely keeps pace with inflation.
Hearing that there’s $2B worth of equipment already ordered for the Army about to be “delayed”
Abrams order on hold/cancelled/diverted to others?
The government is being extremely cagey about what is being cancelled. I’m no huge fan of the Abrams purchase but that FMS sale was approved way back in April 2021 and I assume the money is long gone. I’m happy to be corrected.