Australian Strategic Defense Review
In April 2023, the Australian Government released the public version of the Defence Strategic Review (the Review), the Government’s response to the Review, and the National Defence Statement 2023. The Review set the agenda for ambitious reform and the Government’s response to the Review set out a blueprint for Australia’s strategic policy, defense planning and resourcing over the coming decades.
The Australian Government has agreed, or agreed in-principle with further work required, to the public Review recommendations, and has identified six priority areas for immediate action:
- Acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through AUKUS to improve Australia’s deterrence capabilities;
- Developing the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) ability to precisely strike targets at longer-range and manufacture munitions in Australia;
- Improving the ADF’s ability to operate from Australia’s northern bases;
- Initiatives to improve the growth and retention of a highly skilled Defence workforce;
- Lifting Australia’s capacity to rapidly translate disruptive new technologies into ADF capability, in close partnership with Australian industry; and
- Deepening of Australia’s diplomatic and defence partnerships with key partners in the Indo-Pacific.
The Review is best considered together with key priorities outlined under the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States that was signed in September 2021. The AUKUS partnership focuses on two streams of innovation:
- Pillar 1, which refers to Australia acquiring a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, involving input from all three AUKUS partners.
- Pillar 2, which refers to accelerating capabilities in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, Undersea Technologies, Hypersonics, EW, Quantum, Innovation and Information Sharing.
The most practical next steps for U.S. defense companies are to engage with the Australian defense community and promote their capabilities, ideally in collaboration with Australian industry. There are several defense industry trade events in Australia at which we organize U.S. Pavilions and several in the U.S. where there are opportunities to engage with Australian companies. Below is a list of the leading defense sector events at which there are opportunities to connect with Australian companies and defense officials.
| Event/Link | Location | Dates (Frequency) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indo Pacific Maritime Expo | Sydney | November 7-9, 2023 (biennial) | Naval focus, Large US Pavilion, large US exhibitor cohort |
| MilCis | Canberra | November 14-16, 2023 (biennial) | Military comms and IT focus, smaller event, but with a strong U.S. exhibitor presence |
| Land Forces | Melbourne | September 11-14, 2024 (biennial) | Army focus, U.S. Pavilion, large event |
| Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference | Perth | July 24-26, 2024 (annual) | New event. Naval/Indian Ocean focus |
| Avalon Airshow | Geelong (near Melbourne) | March 25-30, 2025 (biennial) | Aerospace and defense focus. Largest defense event in Australia, large U.S. exhibitor presence Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Expo |
| Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Expo | Washington DC (annual) | October 9-11, 2023 | Large Australian delegation participates at the major US Army event |
| G’Day USA US-Australia Dialogue on Defence Industries | Washington DC (annual) | October 12, 2023 | Forum of govt, military and industry focusing on bilateral defense cooperation |
The following two resources offer searchable online directories for Australian defense sector companies and government agencies.
• Australia and New Zealand Defence Directory
• Australian Defence Magazine (ADM) Directory
For more information on the Australian Defense Market please contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Australia: office.australia@trade.gov.