Australia plans to build biggest navy since World War II

Defence minister says the $7.25bn plan will increase Australian navy’s surface combatant fleet to 26 from 11.

Australia has announced a decade-long plan to double its fleet of warships and boost its defence spending by an additional 11.1 billion Australian dollars ($7.25bn).

Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday that the government’s plan would eventually increase the navy’s surface combatant fleet to 26 from 11, the largest since the end of World War II.

He cited concerns…