Thu. Nov 21st, 2024
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New budget analysis has found the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is receiving less “core funding” than before the last election, with parliament this week set to also scrutinise recent controversial overseas military spending decisions.

The latest example of potential local defence work being sent offshore involves a $307 million marine surveillance system purchased from the United States, which has not yet been publicly announced by Australia.

Formal confirmation of the decision to acquire the US Navy’s Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) has only come from a notice to Congress published earlier this month.

“The Government of Australia has requested to buy Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Expeditionary mission systems for Vessels of Opportunity (VOO),” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on May 4.

Despite the same technology being produced in Australia for decades, Defence says the federal government authorised the department to instead source the capability via a US Foreign Military Sale (FMS).

“The Government gave Defence approval to approach the US about release of the system to Australia on an accelerated timeline in response to our challenging strategic environment, as outlined in the 2023 Defence Strategic Review,” a Defence spokesperson told the ABC.

Australian manufacturers are growing increasingly uneasy with the government’s approach to military procurement, fearing international “off-the-shelf” purchases are being prioritised over a sovereign defence capability.

Last week the ABC revealed the Albanese government was also considering importing billions of dollars’ worth of new high-tech infantry fighting vehicles from overseas rather than building them in Australia.

Analysis concludes Defence’s core funding is reduced by $1.5 billion over next three years

A new research paper has found the recent federal budget leaves Defence with less core funding for the next three years, than was available to the department for the same in the March 2022 budget.

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