FACTBOX-Australia's defence spending plan over next 10 years

The country will boost its defence spending by 40% over the next 10 years, Morrison said, buying military assets that will be focused on the Indo-Pacific region. The government said it will spend A$75 billion on the navy, A$65 billion on the air force, A$55 billion on the army, A$15 billion for cyber security and A$7 billion for space.

Australia will spend A$270 billion ($186.71 billion) over the next decade to acquire longer-range strike capabilities across air, sea, and land, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. The country will boost its defense spending by 40% over the next 10 years, Morrison said, buying military assets that will be focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

The government said it will spend A$75 billion on the navy, A$65 billion on the air force, A$55 billion on the army, A$15 billion for cybersecurity, and A$7 billion for space. The rest will be spent on other costs like buildings, training, research, and logistics. Below are some key focus areas:

- develop remotely piloted or autonomous systems such as air and land drones that can be used for a wide range of missions, like air combat, air-to-air refueling, surveillance, undersea warfare, and land operations

- invest in more highly integrated and automated sensors and weapons, including the potential development of hypersonic missiles that can travel at least at five times the speed of sound

- develop sovereign satellite systems, enhance capabilities to counter emerging space threats and increase space tracking - induct directed energy weapons such as lasers for the close-range defense of naval ships and for the land forces to destroy tanks

- undertake the biggest modernization of navy since World War Two by upgrading or adding Hunter-class frigates and attack-class submarines to the fleet - buy 200 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles from the United States

- increase weapons inventories include options for expanded domestic munitions manufacturing and additional fuel storage

- bolster cybersecurity capabilities, improve intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance

Source: Australian Government Department of Defence. ($1 = 1.4461 Australian dollars)

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