The number of personnel in Australia's defence force will be increased in the largest boost during peacetime.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday outlined plans to increase the ADF workforce by more than 18,000 by 2040, as part of a nearly $40 billion plan.
The increase would be a 30 per cent boost over the next two decades, bringing the number of permanent ADF personnel to 80,000, with the total defence workforce growing to more than 100,000.
Mr Morrison said the move, which had been flagged for more than a year, was a significant step forward.
"We don't leave our tasks of defence to others ... we take it up ourselves and that means we're a contributor," Mr Morrison told reporters in Brisbane.
The defence force increase was highlighted as part of a 2020 force structure plan, and was agreed to by the national security committee of cabinet in late 2021.
The prime minister said while it would take nearly 20 years for the defence force to reach the increased figure, it was not a case of too little, too late.
"We have built a web of alignment among like-minded countries in our region to defend this country - we're putting boots on the ground," he said.
"We're better prepared today, we are more ready today, than many could have imagined."
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Labor would increase defence spending to two per cent of GDP should it win the next election.
In an address to the Lowy Institute, Mr Albanese questioned the timing of the prime minister's defence announcement, after Mr Morrison made a similar address at the institute earlier this week.
"The prime minister was here on this stage how many days ago? Two or three? Why is there an announcement made today about defence issues? I think we know the answer," he said.
"We need to treat national security seriously."
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the ADF expansion was vital given rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, along with conflicts in Europe.
"It is going to be necessary to supplement particularly in space, in cyber, in our naval assets, our underwater capability, our autonomous vehicles," he said.
"That provides a deterrence and makes us a more credible partner with the United Kingdom and with the United States and with NATO ... and if we are to rely on them, they need to rely on us."
Opposition defence spokesman Brendan O'Connor said Labor agreed with increasing the size of the ADF, but that the timing of the move by the government was a distraction from a slow response to the flooding crisis in NSW and Queensland.
"Having sat on a decision taken last year to boost ADF numbers, the Morrison-Joyce government has waited until the eve of an election to make yet another announcement that won't take effect for 18 years," he said.
"(The government) only met 90 per cent of permanent force recruitment targets in 2020/21 and have failed to meet 2016 defence white paper targets every year since 2015/16."
