Former chief of army Peter Leahy served with distinction until his retirement in 2008 and he is a respected former chief of army. However, in comments published on Friday (“Defence flaws make Australia a ‘strategic liability’ for the US”, 2/8), Leahy’s position ignores the very significant actions the Albanese government has taken to accelerate capability delivery.
The Albanese government regards safeguarding Australians and promoting our national interests as our highest duty, and the reality is we are speeding up major defence capability acquisitions to meet the strategic challenges we face as a nation.
Acquisition programs identified as strategic priorities are being accelerated, with initial delivery dates brought forward and the time for completion of programs being reduced. The Labor government is keeping Australia secure by boosting defence capabilities urgently, with major projects starting this decade.
In past few weeks alone, we’ve announced that we’re equipping the Australian Army with its first loitering munition and announced the largest contract for an Australian manufacturer of small, uncrewed aerial systems.
We have announced the first successful firing of a Naval Strike Missile, one of the most advanced ship-killing missiles in the world, from HMAS Sydney. We have also brought forward delivery of landing craft medium by two years and landing craft heavy by seven years as we transform the army into a fighting force focused on littoral manoeuvre.
The acceleration of these projects is in fact an acknowledgment on the part of the Albanese government of the strategic circumstances that we face.
Current Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart should be commended for his vision to transform the Australian Army into one focused on littoral manoeuvre and long-range strike.
Leahy implies that the Labor government is to blame for a lack of long-range fires and armoured vehicles. This is inaccurate and unjustified. The government has taken decisive action to repair the decade of neglect under the former Coalition government.
We have taken the decision to start manufacturing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles in Australia from next year and the Australian Defence Force will have the missiles, weapons, equipment and facilities needed to establish a new Army Fires Brigade from 2026.
This is seven years earlier than pre-Defence Strategic Review planning under the Coalition.
Labor has brought forward the delivery of the first new infantry fighting vehicle for the army to 2027. Under the Coalition the first vehicle was to be delivered in 2029. Under Labor all 129 new vehicles will be delivered by the time the first vehicle would have been delivered under the Coalition.
Under Labor’s plan the first of our fleet of general-purpose frigates will be in service by the end of this decade, followed by the first Hunter-class frigate in 2034. Under the Coalition’s plan, the first new major combatant vessel was to have been the first Hunter-class frigate in 2034.
Labor’s plan will see the first Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine delivered in the early 2030s. By contrast, the Coalition was planning for the first nuclear-powered submarine to arrive in the late 2030s. This future made in Australia is essential to our national security. It’s essential to transforming the Australian Army. It’s essential to protecting Australia and our interests.
Just last month, for the first time we had a meeting on Australian soil of the chiefs of navy of the US, Britain and Australia. As US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti said, the bond between our nations remains strong, and that bond is demonstrated by the work we do together to build interoperability and to able to rely on that when we need to and by the navies of the three AUKUS nations working together to defeat adversary capabilities.
Pat Conroy is Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Minister.
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