Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Cormann is right: it is a very good question, because this is the sort of capability investment that will keep the Defence Force at the cutting edge for decades to come. Our future submarine, for example, will continue in operation well into the second half of this century, which is why it is so important that we build a regionally superior submarine that meets our unique capability requirements of operation. Likewise, our future frigates—which will be the new workhorse of the Navy—will be optimised for antisubmarine warfare. They will be key capability, considering that we will within the next few decades have half of the world's submarines operating in our region.

The Hawkei vehicles, the light protected mobility vehicles, will provide improved protection for our soldiers and will include highly advanced communication systems which are designed to ensure that our forces have much better vital awareness of the battle space. It is the Turnbull government that has over the last year ensured that we are trusted to deliver the Australian Defence Force we need— (Time expired)