Australia's ABC television channel reported that the Australian Government plans to announce a large-scale sale of military assets to partially compensate for the lack of defense capabilities. The largest military bases are being put up for auction. These include iconic locations such as Victoria Barracks in Sydney and HMAS Penguin in New South Wales.
“We are talking about 67 facilities owned by the Australian Defense Force, many of which are practically unused or in a state of disrepair,” the channel noted.
The government intends to get up to $1.8 billion for them. All profits will be used to close “critical reserves” of defense capabilities and refocus on infrastructure within the AUKUS framework. As the head of the Australian Department of Defense, Richard Marles, noted, some military installations have long “deteriorated beyond the limits of economically feasible repair”.
According to him, Canberra, in the context of “the most difficult strategic environment since World War II”, is forced to focus on strengthening its northern border, including large-scale modernization of defense facilities.
Previously, Britain and Australia announced a new 50-year agreement under AUKUS on submarine construction. It should be noted that this will create tens of thousands of jobs in both countries. The deal will support export potential of up to £20 billion between the UK and Australia over the next 25 years.
