Bickering over the military’s demands for new weapons and the government’s inability to deliver an immediate funding boost is fuelling tensions between Defence Minister Richard Marles and his department, bringing into focus the performance of both minister and bureaucrats.

A frustrated Mr Marles laid down the law late last year in a closed-door meeting with senior defence leadership, including Secretary Greg Moriarty and Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell, The Australian Financial Review has learned.