Australia announces it will do something Europe should have done years, nay decades ago already: invest in its military.
Australia plans to buy 100 state-of-the-art U.S. jet fighters and double the size of its modest submarine fleet in a bid to keep pace with an Asian military buildup.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, announcing the plan on board the HMAS Stuart in Sydney Harbour on Saturday, said Australia’s military must be prepared for any situation.
“It’s important for our own capability requirements … for the Australian Defense Force to be prepared to meet a range of contingencies arising from military and naval buildups across our region,” Rudd said. “That is prudent, long-term defense planning, and we believe we’ve got the balance absolutely right.”…
The government is committed to increasing defense spending, which is $16 billion in the current fiscal year, by 3 percent each year despite the current recession.
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