Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently held a bilateral meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue and focused on strengthening the U.S.-Australia Alliance.
During their discussions, Secretary Hegseth and DPM Marles emphasized aligning investments to address the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region. They also talked about accelerating U.S. force posture initiatives in Australia, advancing cooperation within the defense industrial base, and enhancing supply chain resilience.
Regarding defense spending, Secretary Hegseth expressed that Australia should aim to increase its defense budget to 3.5 percent of its GDP as soon as possible.
Secretary Hegseth welcomed the conclusion of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Memorandum of Understanding on Production, Sustainment, and Follow-On Development. This marks the Department's first long-range fire cooperation on foreign soil.
The Secretary is looking forward to continuing collaboration with DPM Marles to maintain peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific region.
