A defence expert says Australia’s rejection of a United States’ request to send a warship to the Red Sea to assist in escorting vessels through the busy trade passage, in the wake of attacks on oil tankers and container ships by the Iranian-backed Houthi, should act as “a wake up call” to Australians.

While Australia has poured $52 billion into the defence budget this financial year, director of Strategic Analysis Australia, Michael Shoebridge, says that’s all been spent on “very long-term, slow investment projects” and Australia isn’t sending a ship to the Red Sea because we’ve got a shortage of ships and they’re not adequately equipped.

“We’ve got expensive missiles that can shoot down drones but it’s a million dollars a missile against about $1000 of drone … so our fleet is not properly equipped at the moment and that’s despite a fire hose of money going into the defence budget.”

Press PLAY below to hear why Mr Shoebridge says this is a “wake up call”

Image: Houthi Movement via Getty Images