Defence white paper reflections

The Australian Defence Force and the defence industry that relies on it will no doubt have welcomed the early May release of the government’s long-awaited Defence White Paper – Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific – Force 2030.

On face value the shopping list of new capabilities to spring from the White Paper is impressive – new submarines and frigates for the Navy, 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the RAAF, and so forth. But little was really new in the document. The government’s plans to double the size of the Navy’s submarine fleet were well known, it’s no surprise the Anzac frigates will eventually need replacing, and the requirement for 100 JSFs for the RAAF has stood since 2001.