Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently held a bilateral meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. The discussion took place during the Shangri La Dialogue and focused on the strategic priorities of the U.S.-Australia Alliance.
During their meeting, Secretary Hegseth and DPM Marles addressed several key areas, including aligning investments to the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region. They also discussed accelerating U.S. force posture initiatives in Australia, advancing cooperation within the defense industrial base, and enhancing supply chain resilience.
A significant topic of discussion was defense spending. Secretary Hegseth suggested that Australia should aim to increase its defense spending to 3.5 percent of its GDP as soon as possible.
Additionally, Secretary Hegseth expressed his approval for the conclusion of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Memorandum of Understanding on Production, Sustainment, and Follow-On Development. This agreement marks the Department's first long-range fire cooperation on foreign soil.
The Secretary emphasized his commitment to working with DPM Marles to maintain peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific region.