Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on the margins of the Shangri La Dialogue to discuss key priorities for the U.S.-Australia Alliance.
Secretary Hegseth and DPM Marles discussed aligning investment to the security environment in the Indo-Pacific, accelerating U.S. force posture initiatives in Australia, advancing defense industrial base cooperation, and creating supply chain resilience.
On defense spending, Secretary Hegseth conveyed that Australia should increase its defense spending 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 – the Department's first long range fire cooperation on foreign soil.
The Secretary looks forward to continuing to work with DPM Marles to maintain peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific.
