Australia is revitalizing its investment connections with the financial capitals of New York, London and the EU. Strategic investment by military industrial complexes (MICs) is part of the new militarism cheered on by calls from the Weekend Australian (26-27 July 2025) to fortress Northern Australia.
Global military supply lines are well lubricated by an annual expenditure of $US 3 trillion on defence and related intel commitments across the US Global Alliance according to estimates from Gemini Google Bard. Probably without the need for Ministerial approval from the Albanese Government, Lockheed-Martin in Australia supplied parts for its F-35 fighter jets in Israel as a reflexive response to a supply problem for the Israeli Defence Forces (Amnesty International, 14 July 2025):
Despite repeated claims by the Australian Government that it is not supplying arms or arms parts to Israel, shipping records now reveal goods labelled ‘aircraft parts’ were recently sent on two flights from Sydney to Tel Aviv. The parts are registered to Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer and global supply chain manager of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
In the absence of a UN Security Council arms embargo, Amnesty International is calling on the Australian Government to immediately impose a comprehensive two-way arms embargo on Israel and all armed groups involved in the crisis.
This embargo must remain in place until there is no substantial risk that arms could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law, and until effective accountability mechanisms are in place.
Under Article 6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to which Australia is a party, States are prohibited from authorising arms transfers that would violate international obligations, including where the exporting state has knowledge that the arms would be used in genocide, crimes against humanity, or certain war crimes. Supplying components that facilitate such acts may result in legal liability for both States and corporations.
ABS data shows that Australia’s diverse and profitable trading links are not accompanied by a similar pattern in contemporary commercial investment. Australia’s overseas investment is also strongly skewed to far-off locations in the US, Britain and EU. Interested readers can easily access the full details (International Investment Position, Australia: Supplementary Statistics, 2024 | Australian Bureau of Statistics). This graph accompanies trends in inward foreign investment to 2024:
There are no caveats against the effects of an America First variant of economic diplomacy being applied to our exports of aluminum, steel, pharmaceutical products, films and now beef exports to the USA as summarized by ABC News (24 July 2025).
The fictional tale written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 is areminder that negotiations are possible with the new self-proclaimed wizard in President Trump for modest relief from these excesses. President Ursula van der Leyen achieved some concessions in her negotiations on 27 July 2025. Readers can use this resource to unlock the metaphors written by L. FrankBaum in 1900 when President William McKinley (1897-1901) embarked on an eccentric MAGA agenda of high tariffs and military expansion into Hawaii, Puerto Rica, Guam, the Philippines and Cuba as a quisling state: The Mysticism of The Wizard of Oz: Our Journey Home – Thy Mind, O Human.
Australia too has a record of appeasing President Trump with appalling downpayments to protect the AUKUS deal (SMH, 23 July 2025):
Washington: Australia has quietly paid the United States another $800 million towards the AUKUS submarine deal, taking the total to $1.6 billion, despite the Trump administration placing the agreement under a review.
This masthead confirmed the second payment was made in the second quarter of this year, per the agreed schedule. By the end of 2025, Canberra will have paid $US2 billion, or just over $3 billion, to the American shipbuilding industry to boost submarine production.
“The payments are occurring in line with Australia’s commitment to contribute US$2 billion by the end of 2025, which underscores our commitment to the successful delivery of AUKUS Pillar I outcomes.”
The government was unfazed by the Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS agreement and said it was natural that a new US administration would want to examine the progress of key initiatives.
This strategic appeasement with the Trump administration even comes with endorsement from Scott Morrison (ABC News, 23 July 2025):
Former prime minister Scott Morrison is set to appear before a committee of the US Congress as its leaders lobby the White House to support the under-review AUKUS pact.
The select committee, which is examining threats posed by China, has written to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to push him to back the trilateral pact as the Pentagon considers its future.
The pact with the US and the UK, under which Australia would procure nuclear-powered submarines, is being reviewed to ensure it meets “common sense, America First criteria”, according to the White House.
The Pentagon official leading the review, Elbridge Colby, has in the past expressed scepticism about AUKUS amid concerns about America’s consistent failures to meet its own shipbuilding targets.
A compliant Australian US Beef Imports Review has also recommended the restoration of beef supplies from the USA due to perceived improvements in biosecurity controls on blended beef products to keep the Trump administration onside for the sharing of its AUKUS hardware and technology with Australia. The US trade Representative (USTR) in Washington claims this new deal as a victory for President Trump under the America First logo:
July 25, 2025
WASHINGTON – President Trump secured expanded access to Australia’s market for U.S. fresh and frozen beef, scoring a historic win for American ranchers. For over two decades, Australia imposed non-scientific barriers on U.S. beef, closing off a critical market. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Australia opened its market to U.S. beef, scoring a major win for U.S. ranchers. The announcement was immediately met with praise from American ranchers, stakeholders, and lawmakers.
Meanwhile, accountancy firm KPMG offered details of the longer-term depreciation in levels of Chinese investment in Australia. KPMG’s next annual investment review is due in April 2026: Demystifying Chinese Investment in Australia – March 2025.
France has been humbled into complying with increases in defence spending beyond Australian levels of 2.1 percent of GDP. Reuters has summarized the outcomes in France:
PARIS, July 13 (Reuters) – President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced a plan to push forward France’s defence spending, pledging to double the military budget by 2027 – three years earlier than originally planned – in response to a complex geopolitical moment.
France had aimed to double its defence budget from 2017 levels by 2030. However, Macron pledged to reach the target by 2027. A military budget that stood at thirty-two billion euros ($37.40 billion) in 2017 will rise to sixty-four billion euros by 2027, with an additional 3.5 billion euros allocated for next year and another threebillion euros in 2027.
Harrison Stetler for Jacobin (20 July 2025) notes the practical and political consequences which have brought an upsurge in support for the far-right National Rally to a record 36 percent in the latest opinion polling in France with the Progressive Left National Front locked out of government by canny conservative political negotiations:
France’s Government Promises More Work
Fewer Holidays
After raising the pension age and cutting taxes on the rich, now Emmanuel Macron’s government wants to scrap the Easter Monday and VE Day bank holidays. The plan is sure to face stiff resistance, with French workers unwilling to swallow further austerity.
There are no such embargos on the operations of military and industrial companies (MICs) from the UK, US and Continental Europe. Gemini Google Bard provided a list of key MICs under the protection offered by the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) of 2005 and pending agreements with Britain and the EU:
- BAE Systems Australia: As one of Australia’s largest defence companies, BAE Systems Australia is a significant contributor across various domains. Its extensive involvement includes naval shipbuilding, notably leading the A$45 billion Hunter-class frigates program, which represents a generational investment in the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet. The company also plays a crucial role in aircraft maintenance and provides advanced defence technology solutions for land and air capabilities.
- Thales Australia: Thales has a substantial and diverse footprint in Australia, specializing in naval systems, underwater systems, and the manufacturing of protected vehicles. The company is also a key participant in the Australian government’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise, aiming to build sovereign manufacturing capabilities for critical munitions. Thales’s commitment to local production and research makes it a vital partner in Australia’s defence industrial base.
- Lockheed Martin Australia: This global aerospace and defence giant maintains a pervasive presence across all military domains. In air combat, Lockheed Martin is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), and sustainment prime for Australia’s F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, overseeing maintenance, training, and upgrades. For naval combat systems, it is responsible for the sustainment of the Aegis Combat System for the Hobart-class Guided Missile Destroyers and will integrate the combat system for the future Hunter-class frigates. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin is a strategic partner in the GWEO Enterprise, aiming to produce GMLRS missiles in Australia, and is leading the development of Australia’s future Joint Air Battle Management System (AIR6500 Phase 1).
- Boeing Defence Australia: Boeing is a significant provider of sustainment and training services for various crucial Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft, including the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The company also develops complex communication systems and contributes to future uncrewed aircraft programs, such as the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
- Northrop Grumman Australia: This firm provides advanced aerospace and defence technologies, notably supporting the acquisition and sustainment of the MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft. Northrop Grumman is also involved in delivering integrated C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) systems for the ADF.
- Raytheon Australia: Raytheon is a leading provider of integrated defence solutions, including advanced weapon systems, air defence systems, and comprehensive mission support. They are involved in major projects such as the upgrade of the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) and various land-based air defence initiatives.
These prime contractors frequently collaborate with a network of smaller Australian companies, known as Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), for specialized components, services, and niche technologies, fostering local industry growth.
The MICs also extend their operations to non-strategic endeavours. Local users of automatic ticketing services on vast swathes of public transport in Australia and NZ could also note that the electorate supply chain extends to electronic ticketing systems controlled by Cubic Transportation with its links to Cubic Defense of San Diego.
A brave Phil Pennington of Radio NZ dared to keep audiences informed of the spiralling costs of these electronic ticketing initiatives in NZ and the threats to personal privacy against commuters who register their cards with Cubic following a national roll out of arrangements with Cubic by the previous NZ Labour Government (Radio NZ, 22 October 2022):
Cubic corporation has won a contract to roll out a national ticketing system worth $1.3b covering bus, train and ferry transport across 13 regions.
Its defence arm, Cubic Surveillance and Reconnaissance, develops intelligence systems for US Special Operations drones.
A US media report says privacy advocates have questioned Cubic’s mass ticketing projects and how much data they gather off travellers.
“New Yorkers will have no choice but to cede all the rider data… with no certainty over how it will be exploited,” one tech commentator wrote last month.
Cubic’s huge ticketing projects include New York, worth almost a billion dollars following historical extensions toLondon and Australian cities (Last sentence modified due to a typo error in the RNZ text).
The Weekend Australian (26-27 July 2025) called on the Albanese Government to fortress Northern Australia with new missile and defence bases against future military involvement arising from strategic tensions between Taiwan and the Mainland. Fortunately, Prime Minister Albanese makes no commitment about avoidable hypothetical crises.
Talking up the value of more inter-strait trade an investment between Taiwan and the Mainland may be a better option to provocative freedom of navigation antics in our region which are always cheered on by enthusiastic MIC companies which subvert pragmatic minds in both China and Taiwan (Latest News – What’s New – Department of Investment Review).
Meanwhile, places are always available on the tourist services from Xiamen in China to Kinmen Island in nearby Taiwan which is in sight of the Mainland. Surveillance of Kinman Island by submarine or armed frigate is quite unnecessary. Our military brass is always welcome on the next excursion and are free to mingle with the excursionists from both sides of the Taiwan Strait (Image: KK Marine):
Options for Peace: Excursion Tickets for Military Brass on a Kinmen Island Outing from Xiamen
Denis Bright (pictured) is a financial member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Denis is committed to consensus-building on the critical issues raised in each article. Your comments on this and related articles can be recorded on theaimn.net site.
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One would not conflate France and the EU with the Anglosphere or America, with a fossil fueled* aggressor and invader of Ukraine, running asymmetric warfare in the EU and US.
Putin’s Russia*, very popular with Trump’s US & MAGA, Netanyahu’s Israel, Atlas Koch Network and Tone’s mate Viktor Orbán.
However many run protection for Putin et al by blaming Ukraine, NATO and the EU, yet not demanding anything from Putin eg. withdraw to if not pre ’14, at least pre ’22?
Spineless wonders……
Australia needs to assert its pro-Labor values in defence and foreign policies. The supply of parts to Israeli jet fighters from Australia is appalling. Do the executives at Lockheed-Martin have delusions about being political players?
A case of Australia acting as the 51st State of the Union
How old-fashioned for Britain to be returning to the balance of power strategies which caused World War One and paved the way for a second conflict in 1939. Ironically for Australia, Britain also supported the rearmament of Japan and the occupation of Taiwan after 1905. British and French planes used the former Japanese bases on Hainan island to bomb Hanoi and Haiphong in the First Indochina War in the late 1940s.
Thank you for your well researched article.