ANKARA

Australia's top general, Admiral David Johnston, said on Wednesday that the nation must be prepared to launch combat operations from Australian soil, according to local media reports.

Chief of the Defense Force Admiral Johnston didn't further explain his statement; however, it is a significant shift in military thinking not seen since World War II, ABC News reported.

"Perhaps, finally, we are having to reconsider Australia as a homeland from which we will conduct combat operations," he said, adding: "We might need to operate and conduct operations from this country — everything from our northern infrastructure to our supply chains."

Admiral Johnston also defended his country's current defense spending after a call from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who recently urged Australia to boost its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP.

"The Australian community wants education and a health system to look after the elderly, so we make sure we do the best we can to present the issues of national security issues in our country, and we do that unambiguously and without avoiding some of those key areas of risk," he said.

"We keep coming back, reviewing the strategy, and looking at the opportunities or where the investments are required," said Admiral Johnston.

On Friday, Hegseth met Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue—a key annual defense and security forum—and urged Australia to increase its defense budget.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid