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| Australian Bushmaster (File Photo) |
By Jarni Blakkarly
Australia is rapidly boosting its weapons imports…and is aiming to increase its exports.
Asia now leads the world in growth in military spending, with arms sales to Asia and Oceania accounting for 47 percent of global arms trade. While military spending in and around the South China Sea often grabs headlines, as does India and Pakistan’s increased imports, Australia has also significantly increased its budget.
New figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show Australian imports of major arms increased by 83 percent in the five years to 2013. Australia is now the seventh biggest importer of major weapons in the world.
Despite austere budget cutbacks in every other area of government expenditure, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has allocated a six percent military budget increase of around A$1.5 billion ($1.4 bilion). He also announced that Australia would buy a further 58 U.S. made F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
Australia’s major arms imports mostly come from the U.S., and Australia is now America’s single biggest major arms customer. In addition to the F-35s, which are due to enter service by 2020, Australia also has eight Poseidon surveillance planes, two amphibious assault ships [PacificSentinel Note: The 2 new LHD's are NOT American, but rather Spanish], and seven Triton surveillance drones on order from the U.S.
Australia now buys 10 percent of all U.S. weapons exports.
Read the full story at The Diplomat