Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday that Australia will increase its defence forces by 30 per cent by 2040, calling that the largest build-up in peacetime.

The force will grow from 70,000 to 80,000 over 18 years, at a cost of about Aus$38 billion (US$27 billion), the prime minister announced at an army barracks in Brisbane.

At a news conference, Morrison, who is expected to call a general election in May, said it was the "biggest increase in size of our defence forces in peacetime in Australian history".

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According to him, the military build-up was in response to the "threats and the environment" that his government faced as an Indo-Pacific liberal democracy.

Some of the new troops will support a future nuclear-powered submarine fleet under the new Australia-Britain-US alliance, AUKUS.

Although Australia plans to arm the submarines with conventional weapons, it has not yet decided what the specifics of the program will be, including whether to opt for a fleet based on US or British nuclear-powered attack submarines.

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In the face of China's growing influence in the Pacific region, the AUKUS alliance would make Australia the only non-nuclear weapons power with nuclear-powered submarines capable of travelling long distances without surfacing.

A build-up of uniformed forces, according to Defence Minister Peter Dutton, would provide a credible deterrent to any expansionist military threat.

Beyond submarines, Dutton said the new forces would be deployed in areas such as space, cyber operations, naval assets, as well as land and sea-based autonomous vehicles.

"It is absolutely necessary," he said, invoking Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent invasion of Ukraine.

"People who believe that President Putin's only ambition is for the Ukraine don't understand the history that our military leaders understand."

Watch |&nbsp;Watch how owl interrupted news interpreter in Australia mid-conference

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As China flexes its muscles in the Asia-Pacific region, the defence minister reiterated warnings about the strategic threat Australia faces.

"If people think that the ambitions within the Indo-Pacific are restricted just to Taiwan and there won't be knock-on impacts if we don't provide a deterrent effect and work closely with our colleagues and with our allies, then they don't understand the lessons of history," Dutton said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday that Australia will increase its defence forces by 30 per cent by 2040, calling that the largest build-up in peacetime.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday that Australia will increase its defence forces by 30 per cent by 2040, calling that the largest build-up in peacetime. The force will grow from 70,000 to 80,000 over 18 years, at a cost of about Aus$38 billion (US$27 billion), the prime minister announced at an army barracks in Brisbane. At a news conference, Morrison, who is expected to call a general election in May, said it was the "biggest increase in size of our defence forces in peacetime in Australian history". Also read | From Ukraine's besieged cities, 35,000 escaped via humanitarian corridors: Zelensky According to him, the military build-up was in response to the "threats and the environment" that his government faced as an Indo-Pacific liberal democracy. Some of the new troops will support a future nuclear-powered submarine fleet under the new Australia-Britain-US alliance, AUKUS. Although Australia plans to arm the submarines with conventional weapons, it has not yet decided what the specifics of the program will be, including whether to opt for a fleet based on US or British nuclear-powered attack submarines. Also read | Australia flood toll rises to 20 as thousands evacuate Sydney In the face of China's growing influence in the Pacific region, the AUKUS alliance would make Australia the only non-nuclear weapons power with nuclear-powered submarines capable of travelling long distances without surfacing. A build-up of uniformed forces, according to Defence Minister Peter Dutton, would provide a credible deterrent to any expansionist military threat. Beyond submarines, Dutton said the new forces would be deployed in areas such as space, cyber operations, naval assets, as well as land and sea-based autonomous vehicles. "It is absolutely necessary," he said, invoking Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent invasion of Ukraine. "People who believe that President Putin's only ambition is for the Ukraine don't understand the history that our military leaders understand." Watch | Watch how owl interrupted news interpreter in Australia mid-conference As China flexes its muscles in the Asia-Pacific region, the defence minister reiterated warnings about the strategic threat Australia faces. "If people think that the ambitions within the Indo-Pacific are restricted just to Taiwan and there won't be knock-on impacts if we don't provide a deterrent effect and work closely with our colleagues and with our allies, then they don't understand the lessons of history," Dutton said.

Gleaning lessons from Putin's attack on Ukraine, Australia decides to increase its troops to 80,000

Australia has decided to discharge 13 soldiers following a damning report into conduct in Afghanistan that prosecutors believe may have constituted war crimes.

Australian army chief Rick Burr said the personnel had been served "administrative action notices," which would terminate their service in two weeks unless they successfully appealed.

A years-long investigation last week reported that Australia's elite special forces "unlawfully killed" 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, including by summary execution as part of initiation rituals.

It recommended 19 individuals be referred to Australian Federal Police, compensation be paid to the families of victims, and that the military carry out a slew of reforms.

Burr said due process must now be respected as the military looks to bring those responsible for wrongdoing to justice.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, more than 26,000 Australian uniformed personnel were sent to Afghanistan to fight alongside US and allied forces against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups.

Australian combat troops officially left the country in late 2013, but since then a series of often-brutal accounts have emerged about the conduct of elite special forces units.

Australia has decided to discharge 13 soldiers following a damning report into conduct in Afghanistan that prosecutors believe may have constituted war crimes. Australian army chief Rick Burr said the personnel had been served "administrative action notices," which would terminate their service in two weeks unless they successfully appealed.

Australia has decided to discharge 13 soldiers following a damning report into conduct in Afghanistan that prosecutors believe may have constituted war crimes. Australian army chief Rick Burr said the personnel had been served "administrative action notices," which would terminate their service in two weeks unless they successfully appealed. A years-long investigation last week reported that Australia's elite special forces "unlawfully killed" 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, including by summary execution as part of initiation rituals. It recommended 19 individuals be referred to Australian Federal Police, compensation be paid to the families of victims, and that the military carry out a slew of reforms. Burr said due process must now be respected as the military looks to bring those responsible for wrongdoing to justice. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, more than 26,000 Australian uniformed personnel were sent to Afghanistan to fight alongside US and allied forces against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups. Australian combat troops officially left the country in late 2013, but since then a series of often-brutal accounts have emerged about the conduct of elite special forces units.

Australia to discharge 13 soldiers after Afghan war crimes probe

None of the 19 soldiers were identified in the report, which was written by a state judge appointed by the inspector-general of defence.

13 Australian soldiers face dismissal over Afghan unlawful killings

On Thursday, Australia's top military officer made a revealing admission of having unlawfully killed at least 39 civilians and prisoners from Afghanistan.

The&nbsp;Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell said there is credible evidence that the Australian special forces broke rules and unlawfully killed civilians.

"Some patrols took the law into their own hands, rules were broken, stories concocted, lies told and prisoners killed," he said. This admission has come as a result of an investigation that has been going on for the past few years and concentrated on the military's behaviour in Afghanistan. He has further advised the authorities to let a prosecutor investigating alleged war crimes handle the case.

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He also told the tale of the rituals of 'blooding' and how the young soldiers were forced and pressured into making their first kill. "This shameful record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldier's first kill, in an appalling practice known as 'blooding'," he explained.

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With guilt in his heart for these kills, Campbell he apologises "sincerely and unreservedly" to the people of Afghanistan and especially to the victims' families. He regretted the killings and said the 25 Australian special forces who have been accused of wrongdoing in 23 incidents have bought a "stain" on the regiment and their country.

After the admission, he also called for revoking of several distinguished service medals that were awarded to few selected special operations forces who had served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013.

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The matter came to light as reports of violent and brutal crimes even after the Australian combat troops left the country in 2013. These troops had been stationed in Afghanistan in 2001 to fight against Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Islamist groups.

The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had urged the Afghanistan counterpart to brace for the "honest and brutal truths" that were in the redacted document, and to foreshadow&nbsp;some disturbing allegations" that the government was taking "very seriously". However, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had assumed that Morrison was expressing "&nbsp;his deepest sorrow over the misconduct" — a claim not supported by Australia.

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Following the Twitter threads, Morrison had appointed a special investigator to prosecute the alleged war crimes in the country and an independent panel has also been set up to bring in cultural and leadership changes in the special forces.

The recent revelations are a result of a report called "Afghan files" by a public broadcaster ABC in 2017. The "Afghan files" had made similar allegations at that time, accusing special forces of killing unarmed men and children in Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Australia's top military officer made a revealing admission of having unlawfully killed at least 39 civilians and prisoners from Afghanistan. The Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell said there is credible evidence that the Australian special forces broke rules and unlawfully killed civilians.

On Thursday, Australia's top military officer made a revealing admission of having unlawfully killed at least 39 civilians and prisoners from Afghanistan. The Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell said there is credible evidence that the Australian special forces broke rules and unlawfully killed civilians. "Some patrols took the law into their own hands, rules were broken, stories concocted, lies told and prisoners killed," he said. This admission has come as a result of an investigation that has been going on for the past few years and concentrated on the military's behaviour in Afghanistan. He has further advised the authorities to let a prosecutor investigating alleged war crimes handle the case. Also read| Ethiopia says its troops marching on Tigrayan capital He also told the tale of the rituals of 'blooding' and how the young soldiers were forced and pressured into making their first kill. "This shameful record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldier's first kill, in an appalling practice known as 'blooding'," he explained. × With guilt in his heart for these kills, Campbell he apologises "sincerely and unreservedly" to the people of Afghanistan and especially to the victims' families. He regretted the killings and said the 25 Australian special forces who have been accused of wrongdoing in 23 incidents have bought a "stain" on the regiment and their country. After the admission, he also called for revoking of several distinguished service medals that were awarded to few selected special operations forces who had served in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013. Also read| US troops are packing up, ready or not The matter came to light as reports of violent and brutal crimes even after the Australian combat troops left the country in 2013. These troops had been stationed in Afghanistan in 2001 to fight against Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Islamist groups. The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had urged the Afghanistan counterpart to brace for the "honest and brutal truths" that were in the redacted document, and to foreshadow some disturbing allegations" that the government was taking "very seriously". However, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had assumed that Morrison was expressing " his deepest sorrow over the misconduct" — a claim not supported by Australia. Also read| Israel air strikes in Syria kill three troops, hit Iranian targets Following the Twitter threads, Morrison had appointed a special investigator to prosecute the alleged war crimes in the country and an independent panel has also been set up to bring in cultural and leadership changes in the special forces. The recent revelations are a result of a report called "Afghan files" by a public broadcaster ABC in 2017. The "Afghan files" had made similar allegations at that time, accusing special forces of killing unarmed men and children in Afghanistan.

Australian troops 'unlawfully killed' 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, says top official

Australia's military was called in Wednesday to help tackle a coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne -- a surge in infections that has rattled the country's second-most populous city.

Australia's military was called in Wednesday to help tackle a coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne -- a surge in infections that has rattled the country's second-most populous city. Victoria has recorded double-digit increases in new daily cases for more than a week -- mostly in the state capital Melbourne -- representing a sizeable spike in cases in a country that has otherwise successfully curbed COVID-19. Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government had offered the army's support to respond to the virus outbreak, while four other states had offered help with contact tracing. Officials said Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has accepted the offers of assistance from the states and asked for logistical support from the army. "This support will mean we can get even more tests done and results back quickly – and a stronger effort to remind Victorians if you are sick, stay home and get tested," a state government spokesperson said. It comes as the country recorded its first COVID-19 death in a month, with a man in his 80s dying in Victoria, where community concern about the virus spread is ramping up. Health officials have reported long queues at Melbourne's coronavirus testing centres, where some patients were turned away from overwhelmed facilities Tuesday -- prompting the creation of pop-up centres in several virus "hotspots". Major supermarkets in the state also reimposed buying limits on toilet paper and other essentials on Wednesday after an increase in demand sparked fears of a return of panic-buying. Hunt said the situation had reached a "critical juncture" and health authorities were considering local lockdowns in the worst-affected areas because of the outbreak. "Somebody has either not known, or not done the right thing, so we need to be honest about that," he said. Australia has been an international success story to date, recording roughly 7,500 cases of coronavirus and 103 deaths in a population of 25 million. Several regions are believed to be effectively virus free, with fewer than 200 known active cases across the country. About three-quarters of those are in Victoria, which had curbed the virus through early restrictions on travel and gatherings. These measures were being gradually rolled back until this week. The new clusters have emerged at Melbourne's Stamford Plaza Hotel, which is being used to quarantine citizens returning from overseas, an H&M clothing store in the city's north, and within extended families in a couple of suburbs.

Australia calls military to help tackle coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne

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Gleaning lessons from Putin's attack on Ukraine, Australia decides to increase its troops to 80,000

Australia to discharge 13 soldiers after Afghan war crimes probe

13 Australian soldiers face dismissal over Afghan unlawful killings

Australian troops 'unlawfully killed' 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan, says top official

Australia calls military to help tackle coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne