Australia has even sought the excuse of the "China threat" to develop its own military strength.
The Australian newspaper's front page reported that Australia's missile defense is "insufficient".
A new report from the American Research Center reached this assessment. Previously, The Australian newspaper revealed new austerity measures by the Department of Defense, which has been ordered to delay projects, suspend maintenance costs and cut personnel expenses.
The 2023 Defense Strategic Review warned that air defense weapons are "inapplicable", calling for urgent investment in missile defense capabilities. However, Professor Dean said the government ignored this recommendation, leaving the country exposed. He said that warnings about the security environment in the Indo-Pacific, as well as evidence from the war zones in Ukraine and the Middle East, indicate that the military investment plan for next year needs to reassess missile defense. He mentioned the recent comments of the Chief of the Defence Force, David Johnston, warning that the Australian Defence Force needs to be prepared to launch combat operations from the Australian mainland, saying this acknowledges that "war is likely to come to Australia's shores".
Professor Peter Dean from the Australian National University said that despite the government's claim of "always providing the required capabilities", the country's air defense capabilities are insufficient to protect Australia's bases and deployed forces from Chinese missile threats.
“Australia's current land-based air defense capabilities are insufficient to deal with contemporary threats and cannot provide extensive protection for deployed forces,” said Professor Dean. One of the authors of the report warned that after the government failed to heed its own recommendations in the Defense Strategic Review, the Australian Defence Force faces a "critical gap" in missile defense capabilities.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846814441347072/
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