Our Defence investment strategy had been chaotic for decades

In The Australian Security & Defence PLuS Executive Director Dr Ian Langford writes that Australia is again attempting to fix its “troubled defence acquisition system,” but warns that this may be the last real chance to get it right.

He highlights that decades of reviews have failed to resolve slow, costly and fragmented procurement processes, even as strategic risk in the Indo-Pacific accelerates.

“Capability is delivered by the military, not the bureaucracy.”

Dr Langford argues that service chiefs must be empowered as true capability owners, with clear authority and responsibility. Without this shift, he cautions that the new Defence Delivery Agency risks repeating history, especially at a time when China’s military modernisation is outpacing expectations.

“Someone must own the requirement. Someone must own the delivery. Someone must answer when it fails.”

He notes that Australia cannot afford reforms that inadvertently slow delivery during the next five years, the period most critical to deterrence.

Read the full article in The Australian: Our Defence investment strategy had been chaotic for decades