2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

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``Executive Summary
This Defence White Paper explains how the Government is investing in
Australia’s defence capabilities to strengthen Australia’s security in the more
complex strategic environment Australia will face in the years ahead.
The Government’s policy is to align Australia’s defence strategy with
capabilities and resourcing, grow our international defence partnerships to
support shared security interests and invest in the partnership with Australian
defence industry to develop innovative technologies and deliver essential
capabilities.
Because decisions about our defence capabilities taken now will determine our
capacity to manage the challenges of the future, it is important that defence
decision making and planning take a clear long-term view. This Defence
White Paper looks out to 2035 to identify where and what sorts of security
challenges are likely to arise and what capabilities Defence – the Australian
Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence – will need to meet them.
While Australia has effective defence capabilities to draw on to meet current
security challenges, significant under-investment in Defence in the past and
the deferral of decisions about future major capabilities need to be fixed.
Defence’s capability plans have become disconnected from defence strategy
and resources, delaying important investments in Australia’s future security and
frustrating Australian defence industry.
In April 2014, the Government announced that it would deliver a new Defence
White Paper to align Defence’s strategy, capability and resources.
This Defence White Paper is based on a comprehensive review of Australia’s
strategic environment, including the changes underway in the Indo-Pacific
region, encompassing the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and across the
world and the implications of these changes for Australia and for Defence. This
includes an assessment of the different challenges created by the complex
2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER