Labor must bring forward Australia’s defence spending or risk being exposed to a threat within the next 10 years, analysts and the opposition warned, after Defence Minister Richard Marles announced a $330 billion build-up to counter Chinese coercion.
Long-range missiles, new warships and landing craft, drones and undersea warfare will be prioritised, as Mr Marles declared expectations of a 10-year warning before major conflict had evaporated amid rising tensions between the world’s two superpowers, China and the US.
