Reports say $800 million will be spent upgrading the Australian Army’s amphibious vessels.

A new fleet of military vehicles is being commissioned, according to reports this week, to replace vehicles first used by forces in the Vietnam War. The new vehicles will help the Australian Defence Force access areas of the Pacific. 

Last year’s Defence Force Structure plan called for new amphibious vessels to “support an enhanced Defence posture” and “influence in the region, including the Pacific Step-up objectives”. The focus on the Pacific is in response to increased Chinese influence in the region. 

The new Australian-built amphibious vehicles will replace the historic LARC vehicles first developed in the 1950s. LARCs have enjoyed a long service run in Australia, even as recently as the 2019-20 bushfires, where they were used for evacuations. 

The new vehicles will be about 10 metres long and three metres wide - 40 per cent larger than their predecessors, and able to carry at least five soldiers. 

They will be accompanied by a new fleet of landing craft that can carry the smaller vehicles alongside up to 70 tonnes of extra equipment. Both vessels will be able to be deployed from ships.

It is expected that up to nine of the new amphibious vehicles will be delivered from 2026.

Defence says it should have some options to present to the Federal Government next year.