As an island nation, Australia’s sovereignty, security, and economic prosperity is intrinsically linked to the stability of our maritime surrounds and the nation’s uncontested and unmolested access to the global maritime commons.

This reality is critically important in the light of mounting regional and global naval build ups, serving as the driving force behind the nation’s transformative pursuit of the trilateral AUKUS agreement delivering the nation’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet as the centrepiece of Australia’s strategic deterrence capabilities.

Recognising the centrality of maritime security and stability, the government’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR) reinforced the renewed importance of the nation’s maritime security, with the Royal Australian Navy requiring an immense and comprehensive restructuring to optimise the fleet for the future tactical and strategic challenges we face throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Highlighting this, the DSR explains, “Australia’s Navy must be optimised for operating Australia’s immediate region and for the security of our sea lines of communication and maritime trade.”

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