Australia significantly strengthens its navy with the assistance of the United States

On February 20, Australia unveiled a ten-year plan to strengthen its navy. It provides for a doubling of the fleet of large warships and an additional $7 billion in defense spending.

According to the plan, Australia will receive a fleet of 26 major surface warships, compared to 11 today. These include six Hunter-class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates, three air defense destroyers, and six modern, crewless surface ships.

As Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles stated: “This will be the largest fleet Australia has had since World War II.”