Analyst says smaller, smarter, autonomous systems is way forward for defence spending | The Business
The government has announced it'll be spending an extra $53 billion on defence over the next decade, bringing total spending to three per cent of GDP. Strategic Analysis Australia head of research, Marcus Hellyer says despite the announced increase in funding, it's not enough "defence will need to do some, quote, reprioritisation ... and that's basically bureaucratic speak for some things will be cut or some things will be cancelled." He says some Australian companies could be impacted by cuts, but there is a lot of talent in Australia. He advocates investing more in autonomous systems, "the so-called small, the smart and the many, those things that we're seeing on every battlefield around the world at the moment ... Australia has companies that are world leaders in many of those systems, and it's been one of the big mysteries of the defence budget over the last few years that we haven't invested in those companies." He says that's changing. "To my mind, again, it's way too slow." He says.
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The government has announced it’ll be spending an extra $53 billion on defence over the next decade, bringing total spending to three per cent of GDP. Strategic Analysis Australia head of research, Marcus Hellyer says despite the announced increase in funding, it’s not enough “defence will need to do some, quote, reprioritisation … and that’s basically bureaucratic speak for some things will be cut or some things will be cancelled.” He says some Australian companies could be impacted by cuts, but there is a lot of talent in Australia. He advocates investing more in autonomous systems, “the so-called small, the smart and the many, those things that we’re seeing on every battlefield around the world at the moment … Australia has companies that are world leaders in many of those systems, and it’s been one of the big mysteries of the defence budget over the last few years that we haven’t invested in those companies.” He says that’s changing. “To my mind, again, it’s way too slow.” He says.
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Subscribe: http://ab.co/1svxLVE
Read more here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-16/asx-markets-business-live-news-april-16/106569522
ABC NEWS provides around the clock coverage of news events as they break in Australia and abroad. It’s news when you want it, from Australia’s most trusted news organisation.
For more from ABC NEWS, click here: https://ab.co/2kxYCZY
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