Pete Hegseth notes Australia’s defence spending hike, says there’s more to do
Washington: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted the Albanian government’s determination to increase military spending, but said there was still much to be done for Australia to be seen as an “exemplary ally” in the Indo-Pacific.
He also confirmed that the cost of US military action in Iran is at least US$25 billion ($35 billion) while lashing out at Democrats who have called the two-month-old war a “swamp”.
In his official statement to Congress, Hegseth reiterated that the Trump administration is prioritizing burden sharing in the Indo-Pacific and praised South Korea as an exemplary ally. Seoul has announced that it will increase defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035.
Hegseth said in his statement that Japan “clearly recognizes the threat environment we all face and has signaled that it will increase its defense spending and adjust its investments accordingly.”
“Australia likewise understands the need to increase defense spending, and Canberra has taken another step by publishing its latest National Defense Strategy,” he said.
“We look forward to building on this progress with our Australian allies to do more together in the alliance, moving full steam ahead on AUKUS and improving the ability to promote meaningful deterrence.”
Those words were echoed by the Pentagon’s chief of policy, Elbridge Colby, who said on social media: “In summary, Americans want partners, not dependencies.”
Hegseth’s defensive stance continued in his statement, citing Israel, South Korea, Poland, Finland and the Baltic States as model U.S. allies who have taken action and will receive “special compliments.”
“Allies who do not do this [step up] “Allies who still do not do their part in collective defense will face consequences,” he said.
“President Trump likes to help countries that help them. That’s the nature of partnerships rather than dependencies. That’s what we owe to our friends and, most importantly, to the American people.”
Earlier in April, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his plans for Australia. It spends 3 percent of its gross domestic product Plans are being made for defense through 2033 using a broader formula that also takes into account military retirement and additional infrastructure spending. The current figure is around 2 percent.
The Trump administration had previously pressured Australia to increase that figure to 3.5 percent; This rate is considered the new global standard after receiving a commitment from NATO allies to reach this level.
Trump did not respond when asked about a recently announced increase in Australia’s defense spending, instead focusing on his claim that Canberra and others were not helping him with Iran.
Albanese has long argued that his government’s approach to defense spending is about providing the necessary funding for Australia’s own defense needs.
In an at times heated hearing with lawmakers on Wednesday (US time), Hegseth and Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst revealed for the first time that the cost of Operation Epic Fury (the US military campaign in Iran) was US$25 billion, mostly for munitions.
Hegseth did not provide a clear answer when asked whether that figure included the cost of replacing spent ammunition in 2026 dollars.
He became uneasy after Democratic congressman John Garamendi called the Iran war a “swamp” that would seriously damage America’s standing in the world.
“You should know better, shame on you,” Hegseth said. “For two months now you’ve been calling this…a swamp, distributing propaganda to our enemies. For whom are you suffering?”
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
