Australia to increase defence force

CANBERRA - Defence Minister Robert Hill today pointed to a bigger, stronger army able to deploy more easily around the world on a fleet of large transport aircraft.

Speaking ahead of today's launch of the latest strategic update and the plan for rebuilding the army, Senator Hill said terrorism remained Australia's greatest threat.

He said combating proliferation of weapons of mass destruction remained a high priority as did the continuing need to help struggling states in the region.

"We do believe it is an uncertain strategic environment and we have therefore to plan for the unexpected as well as the expected," he told ABC radio.

"Our emphasis is on the army. The army is having to do a lot of the heavy work of recent times and we expect that is going to continue.

"We have a programme to what we call harden and network the army. The objective is to provide greater protection for our forces when they are deployed."

Senator Hill said the plan was to mechanise a second army battalion to allow them to operate from armoured vehicles.

He said the government would also examine the possibility of providing defence with a heavy lift aircraft capability for the first time.

"We have found there has been an enormous need in recent years and we have had to rely in particular on the Americans to assist and also to charter in Soviet heavylift aircraft," he said.

"We have made it work but it has been both expensive and difficult. We believe that we are getting to the stage where Australia can provide this extra capability to this troops and it would be a huge advantage if it was possible."

The preferred aircraft is the Boeing C-17 Globemaster, an aircraft with a 70 tonne load capacity and virtually unlimited range with inflight refuelling. C-17s could replace the RAAF squadron of ageing C-130H Hercules transports.

Senator Hill said the army would be expanded over the next decade and there was already a plan to lift numbers.

"We would be looking to increase it further by about another 1500," he said.

"We believe that we can achieve those numbers. It still is a small defence force by international standards," he said.

"We will have to compete in a very competitive labour market -- we recognise that -- and we are in a process of developing a range of new incentives, not only to recruit but to retain our skilled personnel.

"None of this comes cheap. The numbers will be finalised in the forthcoming budget process but we believe that is what is necessary to keep Australia secure."

Senator Hill rejected speculation he had been offered the position of ambassador to the UN and would quit politics.

"I am planning defence's strongest argument for the forthcoming budget process," he said.

"That would make it sound as if I am expecting to be arguing it in budget."

- AAP