Rapid growth in defence budget risks 'wasteful shopping expedition': think tank

The Abbott government's plan to pump billions of dollars into defence risks encouraging the military to go on "a shopping expedition" for equipment and personnel that aren't really needed, a top think-tank warns.

In its annual defence budget report, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute embraces the government's goal to spend 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence as a credible one.

But it makes a series of warnings about the scale of the Coalition's ambition, noting that the target means military spending would reach $52 billion in 2023-24, up from $29.3 billion in the coming financial year.

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