Defence force to 're-imagine' capabilities: Marles

Defence Minister Richard Marles wants to reshape Australia's strategic direction to prepare for potential future conflicts, but says defence force recruitment and capability gaps remain a challenge.

A major review of the nation's defence strategy noted Australia could no longer rely on its isolated geography to provide enough warning in the event of a major attack.

It has also led to the government cancelling some land-based contracts to focus on precise, long-range missiles and landing craft that are able to deploy Australian power.

Mr Marles said the government was seeking to "reshape" the armed forces to prepare Australia for the nature of future conflicts over the next three decades.

"We are trying to re-imagine an army which is more mobile and can project, and that's in the context of a set of very challenging circumstances which we see in the world today," he told 2GB on Tuesday.

"It's in that context that we are thinking about a defence force which is more able to project than we have in the past."

The government also wanted to make sure defence recruitment kept up with future workforce demands.

"I have never seen an expression of 'team' quite the same as that which you see in the defence force, where people are working together selflessly, with a generosity of spirit," Mr Marles said.

"(Defence is) a great place to work, it's a great career to pursue and we need more Australians to make that choice."   

Australia will also take stock of its naval fleet to make sure it's ready to work alongside nuclear-powered submarines more effectively once they arrive. 

A short review of the surface fleet will be conducted in the latter half of the year.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the review would ensure the fleet was fit for purpose when the submarines began operating in the next decade. 

"It will be a short, sharp review to check that we've got the right structure of our surface fleet to complement the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines," he told ABC TV.

"We face the greatest strategic uncertainty since World War II, we're facing the biggest regional arms build up since 1945."

The review will be led by retired US vice admiral William Hilarides, retired Australian vice admiral Stuart Mayer and former senior public servant Rosemary Huxtable.

Mr Conroy said he had spoken with his counterparts in the Pacific before the review's release. 

Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh defended the timing of the review, which was published the day before Anzac Day. 

He said the government wanted to set out the directions of the strategic circumstances facing Australia and discussions about the review would continue. 

"There are things we need to do as a government that aren't the sorts of decisions you can turn around in weeks, they need to be thought through with clear direction," he told ABC Radio National. 

"We'll have more opportunity to discuss that over coming weeks no doubt, (but) the key focus today needs to be on commemorating our service men and women."