Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, recently took a stand against what he deemed as misleading information circulating in the media regarding the national Defence budget and spending. Breaking from his usual composed demeanour, Marles expressed his frustration with the media’s perceived lack of truthfulness during a press conference at the Indo Pacific Sea Power Conference, where he was accompanied by Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

The Minister’s response was triggered by ongoing scepticism directed at the federal government throughout the year, questioning Australia’s commitment to funding the Australian Defence Force and surpassing the 2 percent GDP allocation for defence. Despite the government’s earlier announcement of achieving the first federal budget surplus in 15 years, coupled with funding commitments to the AUKUS agreement and recommendations from the recently released Defence Strategic Review, doubts persisted.

Marles vehemently refuted the media claims, stating, “The comments that we see in the media today are just not true. They’re not true. And they really, they’re a pretty scant relationship to the truth.” He emphasized the government’s dedication to maintaining and, in fact, increasing Defence spending. According to Marles, since coming to power, there has been a 10 percent increase in Defence spending.

Addressing concerns about the Defence budget’s state when the current government took office, Marles highlighted the challenges inherited, including a quarter of expected Defence procurements lacking funding. He attributed this to the former government’s practice of announcing substantial programs without allocating sufficient funds, leading to overruns in projects like the Hunter program and offshore patrol vessels.

Marles defended the government’s decisions, emphasizing the commitment to rectify past deficiencies. He cited the focus on acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, doubling funding for guided weapons, and ensuring long-range strike capabilities. Despite acknowledging difficult decisions, Marles asserted that prioritizing a focused and impactful Defence Force was necessary.

The Minister also refuted claims regarding the reduction of infantry fighting vehicles in the LAND 400 project, explaining that the decision was driven by strategic intent and the impracticality of deploying many vehicles beyond Australia’s shores. He further justified the choices made by highlighting the establishment of a long-range strike brigade, enhancing the Australian Army’s lethality and potency.

In response to criticism about the Canberra Class landing helicopter dock’s deck upgrades for F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft deployment, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond officially ruled out such modifications during the same press conference, stating, “It’s not something I’m looking at.”

North Korea announced on Thursday its intention to deploy new military equipment along the military demarcation line separating it from South Korea. This decision comes in response to Seoul’s partial withdrawal from a 2018 agreement aimed at reducing tensions along the border, as reported by state-run media.

Seoul’s move to enhance intelligence and surveillance along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) follows North Korea’s launch of its first spy satellite on Tuesday. Analysts speculate that the satellite could provide valuable information for targeting adversaries’ forces.

This action by Seoul signifies a partial retreat from the Inter-Korean Military Agreement, signed in 2018 by then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The agreement, part of joint efforts with the US to mitigate the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula, aimed to widen the buffer zone between the two Koreas. However, goodwill generated by the agreement has dissipated over the years.

Kim, dissatisfied with the lack of concessions from the US and South Korea in subsequent talks, escalated North Korea’s ballistic missile program, expressing the intent to develop a nuclear deterrent comparable to that of Washington. In response to North Korea’s military buildup, the US, South Korea, and Japan have increased their military cooperation through exercises and deployments, perceived as a threat by Pyongyang.

Earlier in the week, North Korea criticized the US for potential sales of advanced missiles to Japan and military equipment to South Korea, labelling it a “dangerous act.” North Korea asserted that the offensive military equipment would inevitably be directed against them.

The North Korean Defence Ministry, on Thursday, declared that it would not be bound by the military agreement, pledging to deploy more potent armed forces and new military hardware along the Military Demarcation Line. The ministry claimed that South Korea’s intentional and provocative actions reduced the agreement to a mere “scrap of paper” and warned of severe consequences for its irresponsible provocations.

Pyongyang held South Korea “wholly accountable” for any clashes that might occur between the two Koreas. The situation along the military demarcation line, described as the world’s most acute military confrontation zone, was deemed irreversibly uncontrollable due to what North Korea termed as serious mistakes by the political and military authorities of the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The latest blow to Russia’s military prowess in Ukraine comes in the form of the confirmed loss of its cutting-edge armoured all-terrain vehicle, the Plastun-SN. This state-of-the-art troop carrier, recently deployed to military units, suffered a devastating fate, further denting the already beleaguered reputation of the Russian army.

A poignant image circulating on social media in the Russian segment unveils the aftermath of the incident – the remnants of the Plastun-SN, still smouldering from what appears to be a detonation on an anti-tank mine. This loss is particularly significant as Russian military forces had only received the initial batch of this equipment in October 2023.

The Plastun-SN, a specialized tracked all-terrain vehicle developed for evacuation purposes within the Russian army, has garnered the somewhat ironic nickname “Tuzik” on social media. The designation “SN” indicates its “Special Purpose” nature, emphasizing its versatility for tasks such as casualty evacuation, reconnaissance, and functioning as an 82mm self-propelled mortar.

Featuring composite armour protection capable of withstanding bullets ranging from 9x19mm to 7.62x39mm calibre, the Plastun-SN can accommodate up to eight personnel. This includes four rescuers, two injured individuals, and a two-person crew. Its multifaceted design underscores its importance in various military operations.

The loss of the Plastun-SN raises pertinent questions about the efficacy of Russia’s latest military assets in the ongoing war. With its deployment intended to bolster the capabilities of Russian forces, this incident serves as a significant setback, prompting a re-evaluation of the strategic advantages and vulnerabilities associated with the country’s state-of-the-art equipment on the battlefield. As the conflict continues, the fate of such advanced military assets becomes a focal point, influencing perceptions of Russia’s military might and its ability to navigate the complex and dynamic landscape of modern warfare.

Australia is grappling with a domestically originated inflation challenge, countering assertions that escalating prices are primarily influenced by global factors beyond the central bank’s sphere of influence. The inflationary issue is predominantly rooted in internal dynamics and demand, necessitating a considerable timeframe to realign inflation with the target.

Various services such as supermarkets, butchers, hairdressers, dentists, dining out, and recreational activities are witnessing substantial price hikes. The remarks made by Ms. Bullock aimed to refute the notion that interest rate increases were merely causing distress to borrowers, challenging the prevailing belief that inflation was predominantly steered by global factors.

The Albanese government has largely endorsed this perspective, with Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones emphasizing the universality of the situation across countries. While acknowledging global uncertainties, supply chain constraints, and decisions by oil-producing nations, Ms. Bullock asserted that supply-side factors no longer predominantly steer inflation, contrary to the previous year. Homegrown inflation, according to her, is more persistent than disruptions caused by supply-side issues, such as fluctuations in oil prices.

Ms. Bullock projected that the process of bringing inflation back to the target would extend over two years, necessitating a closer alignment of aggregate demand and supply. Despite her concerns about the potential durability of high inflation, market confidence in her raising the cash rate beyond 4.35 percent remains low. Market predictions indicate a mere 5 percent probability of a rate hike at the RBA’s final board meeting on December 5, with the likelihood peaking at approximately 40 percent in March 2024.

Ms. Bullock outlined three indicators suggesting that inflation is demand-driven. Firstly, it is widespread, with about two-thirds of items in the consumer price index basket experiencing inflation rates above 3 percent. Secondly, the labour-intensive services sector increasingly underpins inflation, driven by rising costs in wages, business rents, and insurance. Finally, the labor market remains exceptionally robust, with the jobless rate hovering around a five-decade low of 3.7 percent.