SYDNEY, Australia: Australia on Tuesday outlined a 10-year plan to double its fleet of large warships and boost defense spending by another $7 billion in the face of a growing Asia-Pacific arms race.
Under Australia’s plan, the navy will build 26 major surface combatant ships, up from 11 today.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the country would build six Hunter-class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates and six state-of-the-art unmanned surface warships.
At least part of the fleet will be armed with Tomahawk missiles capable of long-range strikes against targets deep inside enemy territory – a major deterrent capability.
The announcement comes after a massive build-up of firepower by rivals China and Russia and amid a growing confrontation between nervous US-led allies and increasingly belligerent authoritarian governments.
Australia would enhance its defence spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), above the two percent target set by its NATO allies, as per the plan.
Some of the ships will be built in Adelaide, creating more than 3,000 jobs, but some will come from US designs and as yet undecided designs from Spain, Germany, South Korea and Japan.
