Defence to grow to largest size since Vietnam War, increasing by nearly 20,000 people by 2040

Summary

This article by Andrew Greene, writing for ABC-Australia, makes the following points:

• The plan is to achieve that increase by 2040 amid strategic risks posed by China and Russia.
• The proposed $38 billion expansion would see the full-time Australian Defence Force grow to a size not seen since the Vietnam War.
• The Australian Government says the additional 18,500  uniformed personnel is 6,000 more than the ‘critical minimum’ recommended by Defence to cover casualties from armed conflict.
• Emerging battlefront domains such as space, information, and cyber warfare are also a focus of the planned expansion of the ADF.

References

Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:

• Preparing for the Future: Key Organisational Lessons from the Afghanistan Campaign | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
• Sea mines: the asymmetrical weapon Australia must have. | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)

References from the Web:

• MAR 2022  PM unveils $38bn ADF enhancement plan—Defence Connect
• MAR 2022  Australian Defence Force to grow by 18,500 troops in new $38 billion plan to 'keep Australians safe'—Sky News 

Source Information:

• Article Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
• Media Check: ABC News - Media Bias Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
• LEARNING OUTCOMES—RUNWAY | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)