Australia investing billions to modernize its Army.

via National Defense Magazine.

“The Australian army has embarked on a major period of modernization which will recapitalize our force over the next decade,” said Maj. Gen. Kathryn Toohey, head of land capability for the Australian army during remarks at the Defence and Security Equipment International Conference held at the ExCel in London.

In 2016, the Australian government released a defense white paper that called for increased investment in the protection of Australia and its immediate region, she said.

It directed “the development of a capable, regionally superior defense force with the highest levels of military capability and technology sophistication,” she said. “To underpin this aspiration, the government committed to return the defense budget to 2 percent of GDP by the early 2020s, with much of this additional funding going toward the capitalization of capability across the” army, navy and air force.

One major area of modernization is the army's vehicle inventory, Toohey said. The service fields M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, heavy equipment recovery combat utility lift and evacuation system (HERCULES) vehicles, M113 armored personnel carriers and Australian light armored vehicles, she said.

The newest vehicle, the M1A1, is 11 years old. The oldest, the M113, is 52 years old, Toohey noted.

“We have had the same vehicle in service with one upgrade for 52 years,” she said. Because of their age, the vehicles aren’t as capable in defending themselves against the threat of rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices, she added. 

Story here. 

Before we get started tell me this.

Why does discussion of Australian defense programs get so emotional with some of you?  I'll never understand it.  I guess its that nasty beer the Aussies love so much that drives them insane when it comes to their military!

Just joking...sorta.

Back on task.

They want a regionally superior force?  I wonder if the Aussies understand that they're gonna be spending an enormous amount of money to get and maintain that kind of lead.  Can it be said that they're at this very moment behind others in various fields and that even after this modernization they're only gonna be catching up to what others are doing?

For better or worse the Aussie Defense complex is about to get REAL interesting.