Australia presented its first-ever national defense strategy on Wednesday. The country will now focus on protecting its interests in its immediate region.
Defense Minister Richard Marles painted a gloomy picture of the regional security situation. Australia must be able to prevent its enemies from blocking access to vital shipping lanes, he said. The strategy is the development of a fleet of nuclear-powered stealth submarines, the tripling of its missile capabilities, and the development of a vast fleet of surface combatants, Marles said. He added that the invasion of Australia is an unlikely prospect in any scenario, precisely because an adversary can cause a lot of damage to our country without ever having to set foot on Australian soil. He added that Australia no longer has the luxury of a ten-year strategic warning window in the event of conflict, as his doctrine has estimated it until now. He also said that the most efficient navy in our history will be at the heart of our access denial plan and strategy. It is designed in particular to prevent an adversary from achieving its objective.