As Australia seeks to strengthen its defense capabilities to counter China's expanding influence in the Pacific region, it has decided to increase cash bonuses with the goal of boosting military personnel numbers.

On the 5th (local time), the Australian Department of Defence announced through the "2024 Defence Workforce Plan" that it would increase its annual defense personnel budget by 600 million Australian dollars (approximately 550 billion KRW) to expand the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and extend the average length of service. The additional funds will be used to provide a lump-sum bonus of 50,000 Australian dollars (about 45 million KRW) to lower-ranking soldiers who extend their service by three years after completing their mandatory four-year term. The same bonus will be given to those who have served 7-9 years and choose to extend their service again. (The video below shows training at the Australian Infantry School.)

The bonus for extending service will be reduced to 40,000 Australian dollars (about 36 million KRW) starting next July, but the program will continue until the 2027-2028 fiscal year (July 2027 to June 2028). In the first temporary implementation of the program last year, about 3,100 lower-ranking soldiers?nearly 80% of those eligible?chose to extend their service instead of leaving the military. Matt Keogh, Australia's Minister for Veterans' Affairs, said in a media interview that "the cash bonus system is increasing retention rates," and expressed hope that it would help maintain mid-level personnel, where there is a manpower shortage.

Australia is increasing its defense personnel budget to raise the number of full-time ADF members from the current 50,000 range to over 100,000. According to the Australian government, the expected number of full-time troops as of the end of June next year is 58,600. The government aims to increase the force to 69,000 by early 2030 and reach 100,000 by 2040. To achieve this, annual recruitment, currently at about 5,500, needs to rise to 9,000 over the next decade, and the average length of service must also increase from 7 to 12 years. Defense Minister Richard Marles stated, "It's a challenging task, but I am confident we can achieve our goals by improving service conditions with appropriate funding," adding, "We also plan to expand opportunities for reservists to work full-time or part-time."

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Meanwhile, China is working to build alliances in the Pacific region by signing a security agreement with the Solomon Islands and supporting the runway renovation project on Canton Island in Kiribati, about 3,000 km from Hawaii. In response, Australia is focusing on strengthening its defense capabilities to counter China's growing influence.