Richard Marles has described Australia's significant military upgrade of eight nuclear-powered submarines as the 'biggest defence procurement in Australia's history', as pressure grows in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe.
Australia's Defence Minister says the acquirement of eight nuclear-powered submarines will give future generations a"more self-reliant" country amid rising tensions over the Indo-Pacific.
Richard Marles in Canberra described the significant military upgrade as the"biggest defence procurement in Australia's history" as China's influence in the Pacific grows. "We are witnessing the biggest conventional military build-up that we have seen since the end of the Second World War and that's happening within our region and it is not Australia which is doing that and we need to respond to this," he continued.The deal will see Australia acquire eight boats, with the government set to buy three subs from the US to plug its capability gap.
"And so it's fundamentally important for our nation that we have the ability to project and to project with impact and a long-range nuclear-powered capable submarine will be at the heard of Australia's future projection," he said on Tuesday morning. Mr Marles also flagged he spoke with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu and provided the details of the deal after Australia and France's relationship came under scrutiny when the former Morrison government axed the $90bn submarine contract.
The first steps will cost about $9 billion over the next four years, which includes $2 billion for infrastructure in Adelaide and $1 billion to expand Perth's naval base.
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