2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

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CHAPTER FIVE: POSITIONING DEFENCE FOR TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES
important combat capability from the United States, including fighter
and transport aircraft, naval combat systems and helicopters. Around
60 per cent of our acquisition spending is on equipment from the United
States. The cost to Australia of developing these high-end capabilities
would be beyond Australia’s capacity without the alliance.
5.22 The Government will continue to invest in capabilities that maintain high
levels of interoperability with the United States. Interoperability allows
our forces to integrate when they are working together on operations
and enhances the effectiveness of our combined capabilities. We
will emphasise capabilities that allow us to operate more seamlessly
with United States forces in maritime sub-surface and surface and air
environments, as well as across the electro-magnetic spectrum.
SECTION TWO CAPABILITY
5.23 The Australia-United States Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty represents
a significant contribution to our bilateral relationship in achieving
and sustaining interoperable forces, and also represents significant
opportunities for the partnership between our respective defence
industries and defence organisations.
5.24 The alliance, and Australia’s membership of the Five-Eyes intelligence
community (comprising Australia, the United States, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom and Canada) provides Australia with information
superiority and intelligence cooperation that is a vital input into our
defence planning. The Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap makes a critical
contribution to the security interests of Australia and the United States,
delivering information on intelligence priorities such as terrorism, the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and military and weapons
developments, while contributing to the verification of arms control
and disarmament agreements. All activities at Pine Gap are governed
by the Australian Government’s long-standing policy of full knowledge
and concurrence, ensuring that all activities at the Joint Facility are
consistent with Australia’s interests.