Reports and Publications

• Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP)
  • Contents
  • Preface by the Minister of Defence
  • Introduction
  • The LTDP and Defence Policy
  • Funding
  • Managing the LTDP
  • Capability Delivered
  • Projects Approved and in Acquisition Phase
  • Projects Approved in Principle by Government
  • Projects Critical to Avoid the Failure of Policy
  • Projects Essential to Avoid the Failure of Policy
  • Projects Necessary to Avoid the Failure of Policy
  • Projects that have Benefit but are Less Critical to Achieving Policy Objectives
  • Projects Previously on the LTDP and Moved to the Defence Capital Programme - Minors

Within this section

• Funding Parameters
• Project Summary Sheets

Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP)
(October 2008 Update)

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1. Introduction

1. First released on 11 June 2002, and publicly updated in 2003, 2004, and 2006 the Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP) is the main capital planning tool to enable decisions on defence acquisitions to be taken in the context of the Government's defence policy, the priority of projects and affordability. The LTDP links the Government's defence policy objectives, which were set out in the Defence Policy Framework released in June 2000, with the capability requirements announced in the Defence Statement of 8 May 2001. This version, the fourth public update of the plan, contains a comprehensive list of projects, with costings (some of which are estimates only), timings, and priorities.
2. The LTDP:
   1. describes major acquisition projects required to provide military capabilities to meet the Government's defence policy objectives;
   2. reflects relative priorities of the projects, measured against the Government's defence policy and requirements;
   3. works within agreed financial limitations; and
   4. summarises the planning and decision making processes used to ensure that investment in defence provides the best value for money.

Funding Parameters

3. The LTDP is managed within approved financial parameters. These include:
   1. a commitment from the Government of around $4 billion over 10 years, comprising a capital injection of $1.209 billion, proceeds from assets sales, and retained depreciation.
   2. consideration of leasing options where there is a fiscally neutral trade-off between capital and operating expenditure.
4. Capital costs cited represent the estimated cost of purchasing the assets and bringing them into service (excluding GST). For projects where it has been possible to estimate whole-of-life costs, albeit with some uncertainty, these estimates have also been provided.

Project Summary Sheets

5. Project summary sheets have been prepared for those projects in sections 5 to 12 of the LTDP. Each summary sheet describes the project, how it contributes to the Government's defence policy, links to other projects and capabilities, timing issues, estimated costs and possible options where these are known. Options and trade-offs for defence acquisitions are investigated, costed and presented to Ministers as projects are brought forward for approval.

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