Australia spends 1.9-2% GDP on defence (Australian GDP is roughly half that of the UK). Their 3x Services are roughly half the size of ours by proportion (even the Reserves). They are actively modernising (as are we). Indeed they have bought in the last 20 years 6x COLLINS Class SSG guided missile subs (and plan to buy more ATTACK Class SSGs), they have 2x CANBERRA Class LHD helicopter carriers that are bigger than our old INVINCIBLE Class (and also made tunes to buy F35B for them in their 2004 Maritime Strategy). In recent years they have bought Super Hornets (A/B/F/G models) and F35A, plus nearly twice as many P8s and they already have the Wedgetail. Yes, they don’t have an Independent Nuclear Deterrent, but then again there has never really been a threat to the Australian mainland until recently - hence they are now modernising their defence forces. Looking at their RAAF inventory then they seem to have just about every capability that we have but about half the number - apart from MPAs where they have much more sea to cover than us. The escorting SEAD/DEAD/EW/EA is really this missing piece in the RAF’s jigsaw, which is what this post is really all about - if Australia has 11x Growlers on a Sqn, then why haven’t we got 22 on 2 Sqns?