Defence’s big budget boost four years away, as soldier shortage hits 5000

Defence will have to wait several years until it sees a meaningful lift in its funding, while the shortfall of soldiers, sailors and aviators will swell to 5000 personnel, the budget papers reveal.

While an extra $5.7 billion in defence funding over the forward estimates is the single biggest increase to affect the budget balance, the vast bulk of this spending – $3.8 billion – is concentrated in 2027-28.