Australia Faces US Pressure for 3.5% Defence Spending Target as Military Prepares for Homeland Operations

Photo by John Torcasio on Unsplash

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said Australia will resist American pressure to commit to a specific defence spending target, despite the Pentagon publicly revealing it wants Australia to spend 3.5% of GDP on military capabilities.

Speaking from the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the Big Freeze MND fundraiser, Marles told Sky News Australia that while the government remained "totally up for" discussions with the United States about increased defence expenditure, Australia would make decisions "based on our own national interest."

"It's not so much about a particular number," Marles said Sunday. "We will make this decision about what we spend on defence based on our own national interest and based on what it is that we need to, what capabilities and assets that we need to resource."

The comments follow a meeting last week between Marles and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during which the Pentagon official discussed increased spending expectations for allies. The revelation of the 3.5% target emerged publicly after the talks, sparking debate about Australia's defence commitments.

Australia currently spends approximately 2.3% of GDP on defence, well below the US benchmark and the 3% target announced by Britain. The government has repeatedly emphasized its capability-first approach to defence planning rather than committing to arbitrary spending percentages.

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