Opinion: Let’s fight the next war, not the last

Australia’s defence spending continues to be allocated to traditional forms of combat, ultimately leaving us exposed

Armoured vehicles, frigates, submarines and other tools we used “fighting the last war” remain critical. These can’t be our sole focus, though, as our adversaries including China and Russia make major headway with grey zone warfare including asymmetric and electronic capabilities.

While we continue to fund staples of the battlefield, defence budgets need to be better balanced to newer and more advanced capabilities so we are prepared for the new era of warfare.