According to the government, Australia will permit non-citizens to enlist in the military on Tuesday, as the country’s low population density hinders recruitment goals.
According to Defence Minister Richard Marles, “permanent residents who have been living in Australia for 12 months” would be able to serve as of July due to softer qualifying requirements. He went on to say that citizens of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Britain are receiving preference.
Australia is home to just 26 million people despite having a coastline that stretches about one and a half times around the planet.
In response to growing regional tensions, Canberra has increased defense spending in recent years, acquiring fleets of submarines, planes, and other combat vehicles. However, it has had trouble recruiting enough soldiers, sailors, and pilots to keep them running.
Experts caution that there are not enough Australians in uniform to handle the demands of the military today, much less one that will be stronger in the future. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute estimates that the current strength of the Australian Defence Forces is approximately 90,000, including reserves.
In contrast, the Chinese military is thought to be composed of two million soldiers.
According to Marles, expanding the Australian Defence Force it is “essential to meet the nation’s security challenges through the next decade and beyond.”
