The Labor government鈥檚 review of Australia鈥檚 defence capability, to be finalised next March, is likely to continue the same big spending on offensive weapons and make the Asia-Pacific an increasingly dangerous place.
We are told the is needed 鈥渢o meet the nation鈥檚 security challenges鈥 over 2023鈥33 because 鈥渢he world is undergoing significant strategic realignment鈥 and Canberra needs to 鈥渂etter understand鈥 where it should 鈥減rioritise investment鈥.
Part of the review鈥檚 purpose is to ensure the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will be ready for 鈥渟tate-on-state conflict鈥. The other is to ensure there will not be a 鈥渃apability鈥 gap.
Both these aims point to the federal Labor government gearing up to make a greater contribution to the United States-led war drive against China.
The ADF is set to buy from the US at a cost of $2.8 billion. It is a win for war profiteer and weapons聽giant (which has had to lower its yearly targets due to pandemic supply chain issues).
Just before the helicopter announcement, Brendan Nicholson from the conservative Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) enthusiastically reported on a media conference with聽US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Royal Australian Air Force chief Air Marshal Robert Chipman.
While once US policy did not provide Australia with either nuclear-powered submarines or nuclear capable aircraft, Nicholson wrote in ASPI's聽 on August 23 that Kendall said the US would consider providing Australia with B-21 Raider long-range bombers 鈥渋f Canberra requested them鈥.
The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, currently being developed in the US, is an advanced, very long-range, large, heavy-payload stealth intercontinental strategic bomber, which will be able to deliver conventional and thermonuclear weapons.
Kendall, who is responsible for organising, training and equipping US air and space forces, also said he was talking to Australia聽about cooperating on unmanned aircraft, including Boeing Australia鈥檚 MQ-28 Ghost Bat 鈥 a stealth, multi-role, unmanned aerial vehicle, being developed by Boeing Australia for the RAAF. It聽flies聽alongside manned aircraft to support and perform聽autonomous missions聽using artificial intelligence.
鈥淭here are a lot of options on the table right now鈥, Kendall said,聽adding, 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of mutual interest in working together and we鈥檙e going to be sorting out the details over the next few weeks and months.鈥
Chipman said the defence review would make Australia鈥檚 weapon聽purchases clearer, adding that the AUKUS security treaty allows聽the two countries to 鈥渃ollaboratively develop and research and engineer new technologies so that we can stay abreast and competitive鈥.
He said: 鈥淲hile we might work with the US on B-21, that鈥檚 a small part of an overall strike capability that we would need in Australia.鈥
Apart from Kendall, who also visited Japan and US forces in Hawaii, Guam and Alaska, there has been a flurry of top-level military visits to the region in recent months.
For Kendall, the 鈥渋ntegrated strategic capability鈥 will assist the US and its partners 鈥渢o keep peace and stability in the region鈥.
Asked about the RAAF鈥檚 role, Kendall responded that the US and its allies are concerned about China in the region. Echoing this, the Strategist asserted that China has militarised the South China Sea, airbrushing out former US President Barrack Obama鈥檚 鈥減ivot to Asia鈥 that set the arms build-up in motion.
While the press conference only received a small amount of media coverage in Australia, it was widely reported in China.
Song Zhongping, a leading Chinese military commentator, was reported in the聽 saying that if Australia obtains the B-21, it would essentially become an overseas bomber base of the US.
Zhongping聽said as long as China modernises its military聽according to its schedule, 鈥渟uch threats can be dealt with鈥.
Other military analysts told the Global Times that China could enhance its anti-stealth and air defence capabilities including with missiles that could reach Australian bomber bases. They also said China may get its own strategic stealth bomber.