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Reuters

Missiles, drones and warships the priority as Australia plans $32 billion defence boost

Australia will boost defence spending by A$50.3 billion ($32 billion) over the next decade and reshuffle its weapons programs to emphasise missiles, drones and warships as it looks to the possibility of a Pacific conflict between China and the U.S. The bulk of the new spending, part of a A$330 billion decade-long budget, will only kick in after five years, and ultimately take defence spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2034 from just over 2% today. Announced by Defence Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday, the new funding reflects new priorities, such as long-range missiles, that Australia believes are necessary in a world where a potential conflict between China and the United States could upend the region.