Defence white paper analysis: Deadly but very handy toys

ANALYSIS: WE are about to spend an unimaginable stack of cash on some pretty scary toys: warships, submarines, missiles, armed drones, body armour, anti-spy gear, armoured vehicles and more.

• Defence White Paper: Future submarines could cost up to $150 billion
• Premier: Defence White Paper ‘an unambiguous win for SA’

WE are about to spend an unimaginable stack of cash on some pretty scary toys.

Warships and submarines and missiles being fired off the north coast. Armed drones. Body armour and anti-spy gear and armoured vehicles.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this whole submarine and shipbuilding palaver is about killing people and stopping others being killed.

The White Paper is a good reminder. It’s a reminder that what is unfolding in the South China Sea is no game — China is flexing its muscles and posing. It’s a reminder that in North Korea, an unstable despot is playing with nuclear weapons.

It’s a reminder that Australians are not safe from terrorism on home soil or abroad, and of cyber threats.

It has been a while since we were reminded of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

So there is a very good reason Australia needs to worry about defending itself, and occasionally go on the offensive.

There’s something unnerving about the thought that these alarming situations are good news for South Australia.

Labor will say it and it’s true — we’re no closer to knowing how big SA’s slice of the Defence pie is. We will have to wait for the competitive evaluation processes on the Offshore Patrol Vessels, the Future Frigates, and the Future Submarines to wrap up. Even then we won’t really know until this shower of wealth and jobs is upon us just what it means.

But the pie itself just got bigger. A lot bigger. We were told the Future Submarines were worth $50 billion; the frigates and the OPVs $39 billion.

They may end up being worth three times that (although it’s worth remember the time frame; these projects are spread over decades).

There is also this dogged focus of the Government on using Defence to tease out other opportunities; other industries, other jobs.

It’s good news, this focus.

In turn, the year-late White Paper was good news for the Government. Just when the Government’s honeymoon looked to be over, when Labor was getting traction attacking them on tax.

Those big billions and bristling warships are mighty handy toys.