The Albanese government has promised a hands-on approach to military spending to curb overblown budgets and project delays.
At least 28 major defence projects are a cumulative century behind schedule and 18 are over budget.
The troubled projects include Hunter class frigates, which are four years behind schedule and costing $15 billion more than anticipated, as well as battlefield airlifters, patrol boats, the battlefield command system, a series of satellite communications projects and the P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
