YGTBSM

Despite the wishes of the strategically blind, it isn’t possible to effectively provide for the defence of this country at the start of the 21st century with Defence consuming only about 5% of government expenditure and 1.5% of GDP. That we’ve provided inadequately isn’t alarmist, nor is it a myth—it’s a fact recognised by both political parties, but yet to impact on the Australian consciousness. Both parties agree that Australia should be spending 2% of GDP on Defence. This means that we’re spending about 25% less on our defence than everyone agrees that we should. Think about it.

Let me think about it. OK I have thought about it. Besides the silly argument of percent-of-GDP for Defence spending, what to you intend to do about keeping the moronic DMO, and the rest of the Entrenched Defence Bureaucracy (Dunning Kruger Effect charter members) from destroying Defence procurement? This is the true enemy of the ADF.

A partial list:

-Lightweight torpedo procured under the idea that it was "off the shelf" when it was not.
-The helicopter mess: Tiger=junk, MRH-90=junk.
-Over $16B for the extreme-risk F-35; $13B in value lost by retiring the F-111 early;  up to $6B or so for the Super-Slow Hornet; $2B give or take for the obsolete EA-18G, $3B give or take for HUG.
-Over $36B for 12 white elephant subs to replace...
-The useless $10B Collins fiasco.
-$10B for large air warfare destroyers that do not fit our needs.
-$3B or so for giant amphibious ships.

Other items include the waste that is the M-1 tank, an irresponsible number of flag ranks and senior executive service along with way too many civilians in Defence.

So General Molan, I would rather have a fierce, nail-spitting, lean and affordable military that used up 1 percent of GDP (if we are to use that silly metric) able to perform specific ops extremely well.

Australia is an entitlement society which has  little concern for Defence and shows more interest in what ever government benefit comes down the pike (Hey look! We have to squander more of our hard-earned tax dollars to pay people to breed!). The idea of  growing military spending, with the other nasty reality of being hundreds of billions in federal debt, is dead on arrival.

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-New Defence White Paper fails to address Australia's core security needs
-2009 Defence White Paper Fantasy
-Analysing "The ADF Air Combat Capability- On the Record"
-Find out who is responsible for the Air Warfare Destroyer mess
-Analysis of Defence Materiel Organisation Major Projects Management and What Needs to be Fixed
-New DMO Boss warns the staff that business as usual is over
-How dangerous is the Defence Material Organisation to our Defence Industry?
-Australia's Failing Defence Structure and Management Methodology
-More on the dud-jamming gear Defence wants to buy
-ADF cost per flying hour
-Illegal boat-people problem update 
-Vacancy


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