Military Budget Plan Not Without Controversy

Local businesses looking to bid on the defense projects find the DCP crucial. This latest plan shows a greater commitment by the government to include the Australian industry in this work.

The biggest project is for three cutting edge warships, a plan estimated to cost $8 billion.

Some say with this kind of local industry participation, defense jobs may jump nearly four percent in the next four years.

But some are not so confident. Federal Opposition Defense officials are calling the DCP "outrageously vague". They say the outlined costs are ill-defined and in reality could end up threatening thousands of jobs.

Future plans for the rest of the expenditures will be determined in the coming months.