Australia has announced a plan to double its fleet of major warships and increase defense spending by an additional US$7 billion over the next decade. The plan aims to boost the navy to 26 major surface combatant ships, up from 11. This includes the construction of six Hunter class frigates, 11 general-purpose frigates, and six state-of-the-art surface warships. Some of the ships will be armed with Tomahawk missiles capable of carrying out long-range stand-off strikes. The plan also involves increasing defense spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product, above the two percent target set by NATO allies. This announcement comes amid a growing arms race in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly with the buildup of firepower by rivals China and Russia. The ships will be built in Adelaide, creating more than 3,000 jobs, and some will be sourced from US designs and other international partners.