The 2012 Defence Capability Guide (DCG) is a new document and provides general guidance for industry on projects for the six year period following the four years Forward Estimates period of the Defence Capability Plan (DCP). The most recent DCP was released by the Government in July.

Together the DCP and the DCG provide a 10 year program for defence capability acquisition.
Projects in the DCG will enter the DCP as they become better defined and if Government decides that they are of sufficient priority to be included in the Forward Estimates years and funded in the Budget.

The current DCP contains 111 projects, or phases of projects, worth over $150 billion. These projects will deliver key capabilities for modernising and enhancing the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The DCG contains 24 projects or phases of projects beyond the Forward Estimates period and will be reviewed in light of changing fiscal and strategic circumstances. The level of information on each project is less definitive than in the Public DCP. The DCG also excludes those projects that are subject to national security classification restrictions.

The release of a four year DCP is based on consultation with Australian Defence Industry and aligns the DCP with the four-year Forward Estimates period in the Budget. This provides greater certainty for industry. The DCP will remain subject to change as strategic circumstances evolve, new technologies emerge and priorities are updated to reflect the changing needs of the ADF.

2012 Public DCP

2011 Public DCP

2011 Public DCP HTML Website

June 2011 Supplement

August 2011 Supplement