Australian PM launches mega-billion 10-year defence plan amid rising tension in Indo-Pacific

Australian PM launches mega-billion 10-year defence plan amid rising tension in Indo-Pacific

   Kautilya Academy    02-07-2020

The Australian Prime Minister asserted that it is not just China and the United States that will determine that Indo Pacific stays on a path for free and open trade.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched 270 billion Australian dollar worth 10-year defence plan on July 1, 2020. Under the massive defence plan, Australia will invest in land, sea and air-based long-range and hypersonic strike missiles.

While announcing the mega plan, the Australian PM stated that tensions are rising across the Indo-Pacific over territorial claims and referred to the recent violent clash between India and China in Eastern Ladakh and tension across the South China Sea and East China Sea. 


Morrison stated that the Indo-Pacific is the epicentre of rising strategic competition. He emphasised that our region will not only shape our future, increasingly though, but it is also the focus of the dominant global contest of our age. He added saying that the risk of miscalculation and even conflict is rising amid heightened tensions in the region. 

Objective

Though the objective behind the announcement of such a mega defence deal is not officially confirmed, however, Morrison’s statements on rising tension in the Indo Pacific region assert the need to secure Australia’s conflict preparedness.


Key Highlights

•  The Australian Prime Minister asserted that it is not just China and the United States that will determine that Indo Pacific stays on a path for free and open trade.

•  He stated that other nations like India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the countries of South-East Asia including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Pacific all have agency, choices to make, parts to play and so does Australia.

•  The 270 billion Australian dollar 10-year defence plan will enable the Australian defence forces to deliver the strategy and the complex capabilities it requires to keep the country safe.

Australia announces largest investment for cyber security 

Besides the mega defence deal, Australia has also announced a 1.35 billion Australian dollar investment in cyber security over the next 10 years to enhance capabilities and assistance provided to Australians through the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Signals Directorate. This is the largest-ever investment in cyber security capabilities.

The announcement comes two weeks after Australia announced that government as well as the private sector had been hit by a major cyber attack by a "state-based actor".  As per reports, the Australian officials believed that China was behind the cyber attack.


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