Australia will spend 500 million Australian dollars ($340 million) to improve the capability of its special forces troops, the first stage of a AU$3 billion, 20-year plan that the government said Monday will enable a better response to security threats at home and abroad.
The announcement comes after some high-profile security incidents in Sydney and Melbourne in recent years and as Australia seeks to play a more prominent role in the Pacific, where China is seeking greater influence.
"This is going to be a very important part of our commitment, the biggest single commitment to upgrading the capability of our defense forces since the Second World War," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters at the Holsworthy Army base in Sydney.