Australia will start co-producing weapons with the USA as part of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Program launched several years ago.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have stretched US capabilities to make things like artillery shells and missiles, so the US is turning to Australian munition factories for help.
Charles Edel from the Center for Strategic and International Studies says that “it’s not perfectly transparent” where Australian weapons end up.
On today’s episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Charles Edel about the impact of Australia selling weapons:
Australia already exports patrol boats to Pacific Island nations and Bushmasters vehicles to Ukraine, but this data is available and more transparent to the Australian public.
We also know there are export licenses with Israel for self-defence weapons, however Edel says there is not full transparency on who ends up using these weapons.
“Australia, like every other country, has the ability to regulate end-user requirements – that is, for self-defensive purposes, or other,” Edel says.
Weapon production and defence-spending will likely increase in the coming years.
The current geopolitical threat environment due to China’s increased military industrial complex is creating a global desire for increased militarisation.
“It’s a natural, if unfortunate, but natural response of states to want to increase their own defensive capabilities,” Edel says.
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