Australia鈥檚 Defence Minister Richard Marles attends a joint news conference with France鈥檚 Foreign and Defence ministers at the Quai d鈥橭rsay in Paris, France, January 30, 2023. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
SYDNEY 鈥� Australia said on Tuesday it will pay military personnel A$50,000 ($33,165) to stay beyond an initial service period, days after a review found its defense posture was 鈥渘ot fit for purpose鈥� amid rising competition between the United States and China.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the number of defense personnel was 3,400 below the positions funded, and there was a retention problem.
鈥淲e have an issue in terms of making sure that we are recruiting the number of defense force personnel that we need,鈥� he told reporters in Canberra.
The retention bonus will be paid to personnel who stay after completing a mandatory period of service, which is typically three years.
The government last week backed the recommendations of a Defence Strategic Review, which said Australia must prioritize long-range precision strike capability, domestic production of guided weapons, and diplomacy.
Marles said the review had made clear Australia鈥檚 defense posture 鈥渋s no longer fit for purpose, by virtue of the complexity of the strategic circumstances that we face鈥�.
鈥淲e鈥檙e now working through with a sense of controlled urgency to reshape our defense force,鈥� he added.
The review said the United States was no longer the 鈥渦nipolar leader of the Indo Pacific鈥�, that intense competition between the U.S. and China was defining the region, and that the major power competition had 鈥減otential for conflict鈥�.
China is undertaking the largest military buildup of any country since the end of World War Two, which was occurring 鈥渨ithout transparency or reassurance to the Indo-Pacific region of China鈥檚 strategic intent鈥�, the review said.
Australia and Singapore held bilateral defense, trade and foreign policy discussions on Monday in Canberra.
Singapore鈥檚 Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen told reporters that Australia, as an Asian country, can play a bigger role in regional security.
鈥淲hen your submarines are ready, we would welcome them to call on our ports, we鈥檒l facilitate,鈥� he said, referring to the nuclear-powered submarine fleet Australia will acquire in the next decade through the AUKUS partnership with the United States and Britain.
($1 = 1.5076 Australian dollars)