SYDNEY—Australia’s new government launched a wide-ranging review of its military, reflecting concerns among some U.S. allies that the growing U.S.-China rivalry is increasing the risk of armed conflict in Asia and the Pacific.
The review will be the most significant reassessment of Australia’s military in decades, said Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, who has been in the job less than three months. The review will determine what capabilities should be a priority for investment and where those assets should be deployed given the rapidly changing geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific, officials said.
“It’s a fast-changing environment,” said Angus Houston, who was formerly the highest-ranking officer in the Australian military and was appointed to help lead the reassessment. “It’s absolutely imperative that we review the current strategic circumstances, which I rate the worst I have ever seen in my career and lifetime.”
The announcement came the same day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in Taiwan. Her visit angered Beijing and sparked renewed worries across the region of military conflict—though Australian officials had previously flagged that the review was in the works. Other U.S. allies, including Germany and Japan, have also previously said they would increase military spending in response to new threats from China and Russia.
Australian troops have joined U.S. forces in conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but overall, Australia’s military is relatively small, has largely been focused on defense and has relied on the U.S. for support, defense analysts and former military officials said. But given that a large conflict with China could tie down U.S. resources, there is growing recognition that Australia’s military, called the Australian Defence Force, or ADF, might need to do more on its own, the people said.
“We used to make the assumption the ADF…
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