Labor will consider reinstating a $1.3bn program for Australia to acquire armed drones if it wins the election, vowing to review the Coalition’s “bewildering” decision to scrap it “as a matter of urgency”.
The shadow defence minister, Brendan O’Connor, said he was concerned there was a “very significant capability gap in the immediate future”, and he would seek detailed advice after the election.
In a wide-ranging interview, O’Connor also raised “systemic” problems with the delivery of defence projects and promised more stringent oversight if appointed minister.
O’Connor sought to undercut the Coalition’s central campaign message of its strength on national security.
“The gap between its elevated rhetoric on defence and national security and its failure to deliver is huge,” he said.
Officials revealed in a Senate committee hearing earlier this month that the government had quietly scrapped a $1.3bn armed drones program to partly offset the cost of a cybersecurity package dubbed Redspice.
Under the now-cancelled SkyGuardian program, which the Department of Defence said provided “an excellent capability system”, Australia planned to acquire up to 12 armed drones.
O’Connor said the defence minister, Peter Dutton, had been singing the praises of such assets in recent months, so the “inexplicable” decision “does demand explanation”.
He said Labor supported Redspice, but not at the expense of cancelling the drones. He noted Ukraine was seeking armed drones.
“Frankly, that is a very bewildering decision by the government and we’d be examining that as a matter of urgency if elected,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said a Labor government would act on advice because defence capability decisions could not be made from opposition.
“It is incumbent upon any government to assess our capability gaps now, not just in the medium to long term,” he said.
“We’d be looking at increasing firepower and certain defence assets where we are deficient, and I would suggest one of the areas that’s deficient includes uncrewed, armed drones.”
V-Adm David Johnston, the vice-chief of the Australian defence force, has previously said the cancellation was “a result of a decision to prioritise a cyber capability and we needed to determine the funding to achieve that”.
O’Connor said the government’s 2020 strategic update noted the warning time for a serious conflict was no longer 10 years, but most of the Coalition’s significant announcements were “looking at delivery of assets or increased personnel in 15 or 20 years’ time”.
“That’s fine, but it’s not enough,” he said.
Labor supports Aukus, under which Australia seeks at least eight nuclear-propelled submarines, but the first of the new boats is not likely to be operational until the late 2030s.
The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has said a Labor government would consider interim options such as fitting Tomahawk missiles to Australia’s existing Collins class submarines.
Like the government, O’Connor stopped short of giving a firm commitment to the exact level of domestic construction of the nuclear-powered submarines, given that the 18-month joint study with the US and the UK is yet to be completed.
“I think we need to get a briefing from the ADF and the defence department but my inclination is to build assets here – that’s my starting point and I’d have to be convinced otherwise,” he said.
An immediate priority on coming to government would be to examine all existing contracts “to ensure they’re on track”.
O’Connor said he was concerned about challenges with the $45bn future frigates project, although his inclination was “to fix any problems with an existing contract … and get on with the job of delivering the assets rather than making decisions to cancel”.
O’Connor accused the Coalition of having a “blind spot” on the national security threats posed by global heating, in contrast to the assessment of the US, the UK and Pacific island countries.
He said a Labor government would draw up a climate security white paper.
Labor was “very concerned” about the newly signed security agreement between China and Solomon Islands, and believed the Australian government had “dropped the ball” in the Pacific.
Dutton has attempted to discredit O’Connor, saying his opponent would “never bring the strength needed to the defence portfolio”.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has labelled O’Connor a “failed immigration minister” and questioned whether he would be appointed as defence minister. Albanese has said he expected “everyone to stay in their current jobs”.
O’Connor, a former home affairs and immigration minister, said he was “happy to take on this portfolio” and he did not expect Dutton to sing his praises.
Guardian Australia has also requested an interview with Dutton.
