Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles is reportedly facing increasing tensions with his department, with Strategic Analysis Australia Director Michael Shoebridge stating Marles is 'not in control' of his ministry. Marles himself has acknowledged there is 'a lot of mess to clean up' from the previous Coalition government and that the defence portfolio has a 'way to go' before it achieves a culture of excellence. Amidst these internal struggles, Australia is making a significant investment in military capabilities, with a $400 million fleet of killer drones, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat, expected to be announced. This investment is part of a broader overhaul of the country’s military, which includes an additional $259 million funding for a homemade aviation combat drone program. The investment is seen as 'very significant' by ASPI Senior Analyst Malcolm Davis, as it will enable more dangerous missions. Meanwhile, Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie urges Marles to 'up his game.'
Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham has accused Defence Minister Richard Marles of dragging the ADF into a "quagmire of endless reviews" amid reports he gave a tense dressing down to top officials last year. https://t.co/dtNCootgIE
⚠️ AUSTRALIA TO INVEST A FURTHER $260M ON NEXT-GENERATION MILITARY DRONES Full Story → https://t.co/HjFRKVtMJO https://t.co/QPwYN1ttJj
Australia will increase its investment in a homemade aviation combat drone program by $259 million as part of a broader overhaul of the country’s military which has seen the government clash with senior defense figures https://t.co/XrgVBQQcyg
Defence Minister Richard Marles has delivered a brutal assessment of his department’s performance, as Defence scrambles to implement the government’s strategic blueprint to be better able to respond to looming threats. Read more: https://t.co/Pd69MZfpFY https://t.co/0Wy6NmCX2W
Richard Marles: The Defence Minister’s war with his department https://t.co/khR6AtykCT
Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie has slammed Defence Minister Richard Marles for being “low speed and high drag” and says he has to “up his game”. https://t.co/sNHw83H3O3
Shadow Veterans Affairs Minister Barnaby Joyce has slammed the Labor government for being more interested in being “entertaining to their backbench than running the country” after they showed their “incompetence again” on the IR bill. https://t.co/puO0rVob0h
Shadow Veterans Affairs Minister Barnaby Joyce has hit out at Defence Minister Richard Marles for being Australia’s “biggest weakness”, and says “we have to defend the nation”. https://t.co/xOqXHeU4V5
ASPI Senior Analyst Malcolm Davis says it is “really important” Defence Minister Richard Marles and his department “work together effectively” after it was revealed he was feuding with the Department of Defence earlier this week. https://t.co/xnhZSl2zZF
ASPI Senior Analyst Malcolm Davis says the expected announcement of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is “very significant” because it will allow the Australian military to “undertake more dangerous missions”. https://t.co/l7oQuwmDcN
Australia will soon benefit from a significant investment into military aircraft capabilities. https://t.co/0ZMF8vOJ1K
#BREAKING: Australia is building a $400 million fleet of killer drones to boost our military arsenal. #9News @ElizaEdNews https://t.co/mBzEfun5BU
Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has called for the Australian Defence Force to acquire more drones. https://t.co/WPIguSA3up
Defence Minister Richard Marles is “not in control” of his own ministry, says Strategic Analysis Australia Director Michael Shoebridge. https://t.co/UCOIHyDmQy
Defence Minister Richard Marles has seemingly confirmed reports he is at war with his department, admitting on Thursday the entire defence portfolio has a “way to go” before it achieves a culture of excellence. https://t.co/lxNDKtDsZA
Defence Minister Richard Marles says there is a “lot of mess to clean up” from the former Coalition government in regard to defence. https://t.co/DD17K1x68j
Tensions are increasing reportedly between Defence Minister Richard Marles and his department. https://t.co/VKz2DWPQ7v