Why in News ?
Australia will allow non-citizens from Five Eyes Countries to join its armed forces, the government said on 4th June, 2024, as the sparsely populated nation struggles to meet recruitment targets.
What are Five Eyes Countries ?
The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance composed of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. These partner countries share a broad range of intelligence with one another in one of the world’s most unified multilateral arrangements.
Today’s News :
Defence Minister Ri- chard Marles said that from July, looser eligibility criteria would allow “permanent residents who have been living in Australia for 12 months” to serve.
Citizens from Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States are being favoured, he added.
Australia has a coastline that would stretch one- and-a-bit times around the Earth, but a population of just 26 million.
Canberra has surged defence spending in recent years, buying fleets of sub marines, jets and scores of fighting vehicles to meet mounting regional tensions. But it has struggled to find enough pilots, mariners and troops to operate and maintain them.
The Australian Defence Forces can today count on about 90,000 personnel, including reservists, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.