Australia,the US and Japan have sent a defiant message to China by putting their increasingly close partnership on an alliance-style footing.
The Coalition and Greens leapt upon the delay to accuse the Albanese government of dithering when required to make tough decisions about the defence portfolio.
The deal will equip Australia’s navy with hundreds of advanced US-made long-range weapons.
The donation of 49 Abrams tanks will take the total of Australian aid to $1.5b for the embattled nation.
The missiles will cost $4 million each and have a range over 275 kilometres.
Multiple sources have also said that investigators have effectively ruled out mechanical,engine or airframe fault as a cause for the tragedy.
Prominent American politicians and military leaders have rallied behind an influential Australian think tank known for its hawkish views on China.
The government has already made plenty of budget announcements worth billions,covering everything from income tax cuts to manufacturing,housing and defence.
Whatever their causes,wars are usually won by the side with the most economic resources. Here’s why.
Defence spending is set to rise to $100 billion a year by 2034,in large part due to the risk of conflict in the Indo-Pacific as China rapidly builds up its military.
Defence firms fear the “sword of Damocles is about to drop” as the government seeks to stop the $50 billion budget from spiralling out of control.