Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles have received the final Defence Strategic Review (DSR) report.
Authored by former Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and former Chief of the Defence Force, Sir Angus Houston, the Defence Strategic Review is an independently led examination of Australia’s defence force posture, force structure and capabilities.
Conducted over six months, the DSR was informed by engagements with more than 150 individuals and experts including Defence officials, Australian Defence Force personnel, defence industry, national security think tanks and academics, representatives from the states and territories and interest groups.
In addition, the Leads of the Review received over 360 submissions from the general public, interested parties, organisations and state and territory governments.
“The Defence Strategic Review will help prepare Australia to effectively respond to the changing regional and global strategic environment and ensure Defence’s capability and structure is fit for purpose and delivers the greatest return on investment,” said Prime Minister Albanese.
The Government will now take the necessary time to consider the Review and its recommendations.
“The Defence Strategic Review is an ambitious and extensive examination of our strategic circumstances and will underpin our Defence policy for decades to come,” said Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
“Australia must be resolute in its responsibility to safeguard our region and keep adversaries further from our shores.”
“I thank His Excellency Professor the Hon. Stephen Smith and former Chief of the Defence Force, Sir Angus Houston, for their dedication and commitment to the task, and producing a body of work which will inform key decision making for government.”
The independently-led Defence Strategic Review was announced on Wednesday 3 August 2022 by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence. According to its Terms of Reference, the Review “is to be a holistic consideration of Australia’s Defence force structure and posture by including force disposition, preparedness, strategy and associated investments, including all elements of Defence’s Integrated Investment Program.”
Its purpose of the Review is to consider the priority of investment in Defence capabilities and assess the Australian Defence Force’s structure, posture and preparedness in order to optimise Defence capability and posture to meet the nation’s security challenges over the period 2023-24 to 2032-33 and beyond.
