Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Lethe said:

It should also be noted that 110 missiles is a huge inventory by Australian standards for what is a relatively niche weapon. That makes me wonder if we are perhaps considering 40 AGM-88Es or 70 AGM-88Bs. And if that is the case then the choice seems obvious: 40 AGM-88Es.

The only way I can make sense of AGM-88B being in the picture at all is if USN is trying to offload existing stock at discount prices. But even so, what use does Australia have for a large inventory of niche but outdated weapons that are inadequate to address future threats?

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Jura said:

...
The total estimated cost is $137.6 million....

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Jura said:

Apr 3, 2017
and
LHDs remain alongside as Defence investigates propulsion issues
April 26, 2017 by

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Lethe said:

... That makes me wonder if we are perhaps considering 40 AGM-88Es or 70 AGM-88Bs. ...

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Jura said:

now drinking my coffee I hope the RAN isn't going into the direction of "phenomenal" ships like Type 45; LCSs; Zumwalt (which are so "transformational" they have to be tugged out of the sea) after Yesterday at 12:29 PM
any comments?

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Australia will increase defence expenditure by 8.3% in 2017-18, with funding rising by AUD2.7 billion to AUD35.2 billion (USD25.9 billion). Budget projections show spending reaching 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020-21, in line with commitments made in the country's 2016 Defence White Paper.

Forward estimates show spending rising to AUD36.5 billion in 2018-19, AUD39.2 billion in 2019-20, and finally to AUD42.6 billion in 2020-21. Spending projections for the four years between 2017-18 and 2020-21 show defence will receive a total of AUD153.5 billion, broadly in line with previous estimates. Budgetary documents also show that actual spending for 2016-17 is now expected to amount to AUD32.5 billion, around AUD403 million lower than the allocated budget.

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Australia aims to be the first all fifth generation air force, integrating the network capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter with its land and sea components, as well as its allies’ and partners’ forces, its air marshal said Thursday in Washington.

Air Marshal Leo Davies added in his address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank, that Australia will “have no legacy aircraft after 2025” under its current defense spending guidance.

The Royal Australian Air Force is set to acquire 72 F-35A variants.

Because Canberra is “a committed high-tech ally” of the United States, “we can prosecute our shared integration together” through the F-35. He said he views the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter as working in a formation with F-35s from Australia, the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and its introduction “has forced us to think together.” He called this “a whole of force concept” that “we want to explore with you,” including design and development.

“We can prosecute our shared interests together.”

The challenge for the future is “taking advantage of these assets [such as the F-35] … and use them in a modern way,” he said in answer to a later question. Davies described this as a complex matrix of operating with nations having F-35s and legacy aircraft that are networked with other aircraft, naval and land forces as well as operating with nations having only older aircraft that are not as linked together.

“How do we plug it all in?” he asked rhetorically.

The F-35 is “nationally agnostic … even our logistical support” is interoperable. The key from the start was the F-35 was built with integration in mind, he added. The same process should be used in the future, he added in answer to a question because it “makes the outcome much simpler.”

To protect sovereignty and secrets, he said Australia allows foreign nationals to sit at Australian terminals “with access to 90 percent of what we do.” It also encourages “air riders” to fly board its P-3s and new P-8A Poseidons on maritime patrols.

Davies said Australia sees itself as “strategic technical bridge for our neighbors,” some very advanced such as Japan and others less mature such as Malaysia. This also works for the United States because “we have the insight of a neighbor” in dealing with others such as India.

Later in answer to a question, he said, “We can go faster together than [we can] on our own.” He added later he has seen no changes in military-to-military cooperation between Australia and the United States since the change of administrations and joint exercises are continuing.

Canberra “should [also] be a bridge for regional security,” stressing the freedom of overflight and navigation. Davies noted that Australia like the United States has no territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Canberra wants “to claim free access to trade” throughout the Pacific “then Australia is happy.”

The goal is to maintain “as rules-based global order.”

Davies said cyber and space “are critical to the air domain,” and they “will be increasingly congested and contested.” Addressing cyber in a question, “it’s about knowing where that data came from,” say on an aircraft part, the fidelity of that data and knowing what can be shared with others that is important.

On North Korea, the threat is “not something that we discovered yesterday and will be on us tomorrow.” Davies said Australia is committed to ensuring resilience in its long-range strike capabilities as spelled out in defense white papers.

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Jura said:

now I noticed at Jane's
Australian defence budget rises 8.3%

... but the rest is behind paywall in the source

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Ministers speed up timetable to spend 2% of GDP on defence including big shipbuilding program but aid loses $303m over two years

The Coalition is speeding up its timetable to

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, three years earlier than originally planned.

To fulfil a commitment the

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made to voters at the 2013 election, the 2017 budget sets out a path to 2% GDP spending on defence by 2020-21. The 2020-21 allocation of $42bn is up from $34.6bn next financial year.

Despite this, the budget books $304m in defence savings over 10 years from a total spend of $150.6bn. The savings will come from “reductions in the numbers of consultants and contractors used in defence as well as limiting the use of non-operational overseas and business travel”.

The Coalition stressed its credentials on defence, which got high billing in the “fairness, security, opportunity” budget.

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, called defence and security “the first duty of a national government”. The defence minister, Marise Payne, and the minister for defence industry, Christopher Pyne, described it as “the Turnbull government’s first priority” in a joint statement.

Part of the additional funding will go towards the navy shipbuilding program – $89bn over 10 years –

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The government will cut $303m from the foreign aid budget over two years from 2019-20 by pausing indexation until 2021-22. Treasury says savings from the aid budget will be redirected to “policy priorities”.

The child development organisation Plan International had urged the government not to cut aid spending in favour of national security after a pre-budget announcement that $321.4m would be spent over four years on the

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.

Plan International’s chief executive, Ian Wishart, said Australia’s aid spending had already been cut but $11bn in the 2014 budget and a further 20% in the 2015 budget. $224m was cut in the 2016 budget.

In a statement released before the budget, Wishart said: “If we see further cuts, these will be made at a time when more people in eastern Africa are starving than the entire population of Australia.”

Labor had already called on the government not to further cut the aid budget, saying Australia’s international development program contributed to security and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

In addition to the $321.4m boost for the AFP, which Morrison said would “ensure the AFP can continue to lead the charge against terrorism, organised crime, child exploitation and other crimes”, $7.2m over four years will go to the Australia New Zealand counter-terrorism committee.

“We will continue to ensure

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to do its job,” Morrison said in his speech. “I know that stopping the boats was something many said could not be done. What others mocked as a slogan, we turned into an outcome.”

The budgets for foreign and domestic intelligence agencies Asis and Asio were not disclosed in the budget papers.

The 2017 budget allocates $138.3m and $92.9m over two years for diplomatic engagement and security costs in the embassies in Kabul and Baghdad respectively. Some $100m will be earmarked for development assistance in Iraq for humanitarian needs and to help prevent a resurgence of conflict and $80m to support Afghanistan’s “transition to stability and self-reliance”.

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Lethe said:

So Super Hornets are apparently now reclassified as 5th generation aircraft.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

I am guessing that they mean FY 2025. That means rapid procurement over the next 8 years with phase out of legacy hornets. Likely meaning large block buys post 2020.

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