Embracing the defence challenge

In light of the nation’s deteriorating geo-strategic outlook, news that the Albanese government’s strategic review has outlined an accelerated timeline for delivering its final report is welcome. The review, led by former defence minister Stephen Smith and former defence force chief Angus Houston, could transform Australia’s defences by recommending new capabilities suited to the current and future challenges and identifying old capabilities that could be dispensed with.

The review is being framed around the regional fallout from a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan – an option Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian canvassed in a recent speech at the National Press Club.

As reported on Saturday, Mr Smith and Sir Angus plan to deliver an interim report by November 1, and their final report by February 1. Defence Minister Richard Marles wants to be in a position by the end of March to make announcements about which nuclear-powered submarine option Australia will pursue under the AUKUS pact and what changes the government will implement after the review. We commend them for moving quickly in an increasingly challenging defence environment. We also welcome Mr Smith’s remarks to a defence conference in Perth on Friday night that the review would examine “with forensic intensity” the situation of the nation’s energy infrastructure in the northern parts of Western Australia, which was “critical infrastructure” for the nation.

In an interview with The Weekend Australian, Mr Marles made clear the government planned to move swiftly to strengthen Australia’s air defences. That is a good strategy in current circumstances. Mr Marles said the review would decide if the government should lift Australia’s joint strike fighter order from 72 to 100 aircraft. The F-35As were “indispensable” to the RAAF, Mr Marles said. Fifth-generation fighter capability, he said, was “utterly essential’’ to the potency of the defence force. The strategic review will also consider Australia buying B-21 bombers under the AUKUS partnership. During a visit to Canberra this week, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall confirmed the US would consider selling the in-development aircraft to Australia. Mr Marles also revealed the former Morrison government’s decision to buy US Black Hawk helicopters was not locked in, and could be overturned in favour of US next-generation helicopters with “Future Vertical Lift” capability. The US State Department has approved the sale of 40 Black Hawks to Australia for $2.8bn as the army’s workhorse helicopters. But the US Army is considering replacing its own Black Hawks with a faster, yet-to-be-designed rotary aircraft with a longer range.

To his credit, Mr Marles insisted Australia would not be deterred by Beijing’s heightened military posture in the region, and insisted the nation would continue to exercise its rights to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. With most of our trade going through that sea, it was “not an esoteric question for us’’. Mr Marles spoke en route to the RAAF’s biggest exercise, Exercise Pitch Black, in the Northern Territory. It involves realistic combat simulations in one of the biggest air training spaces in the world. The participation of 2500 personnel and 100 aircraft from Australia, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, The Philippines, Thailand, UAE, Canada, The Netherlands, Malaysia and New Zealand is a positive sign of co-operative defence preparedness.