Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned that the situation in the Indo-Pacific has become “far too precarious” to depend on the United States as Australia’s security guarantor.
Australia’s alliance with the United States has been central to the country’s view of the world and national security since World War II.
However, in a keynote address to the Sydney Institute annual dinner on Nov. 14, Marles said the military capabilities of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) must be strengthened in terms of lethality, resilience, and readiness to enhance self-reliance.
“The reality is that a tougher environment will require a more hardnosed Australian approach to the defence of our interests: the ability to project power to shape outcomes and deter threats,” he said. “We must marshal and integrate all arms of national power to achieve Australia’s strategic objectives….