---
title: "US asks Australia to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP"
description: "WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Australia to increase its defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, the Pentagon said on Sunday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-06-01-us-asks-australia-to-increase-defense-spending-to-3-5-of-gdp/"
published: "2025-06-01T21:11:11"
updated: "2025-06-01T21:11:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 120
---

# US asks Australia to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP

> WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Australia to increase its defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, the Pentagon said on Sunday.

By Reuters · Published 1 June 2025, 23:11 SAST · Updated 1 June 2025, 23:11 SAST

## Key points
- In a high-stakes chat at Asia's security soirée, defense chiefs urged Australia to pump up its military budget to 3.5% of GDP faster than you can say "strategic alliance," while keeping the specifics as elusive as a well-cooked kangaroo steak.
- U.S. and Australian defense chiefs focus on enhancing defense capabilities and supply chain resilience during their recent meeting.
- Secretary Hegseth urges Australia to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP promptly.
- The discussions took place at the Shangri-La Dialogue, highlighting the importance of security alliances.
- Australian Defense Minister Marles clarifies that specific GDP percentages for defense spending were not discussed.

## Content

The defense chiefs also discussed security issues including accelerating U.S. defense capabilities in Australia, advancing defense industrial base cooperation and creating supply chain resilience, the Defense Department said in a statement.

"On defense spending, Secretary Hegseth conveyed that Australia should increase its defense spending to 3.5 percent of its GDP as soon as possible," the statement said.

The ministers' [meeting](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3S20EI&linkedFromStory=true) on Friday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, is only the second between the [security allies](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3S109Q&linkedFromStory=true) since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.

Marles said after the meeting they did not discuss a specific percentage of GDP to raise Australian defense spending.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Rod Nickel)