Any decision to scrap the fleet of Taipan helicopters early would be made in Australia's best interest, Defence Minister Richard Marles says.
Australia is reviewing whether to scrap multi-role helicopters a decade before originally planned.
The French government have a stake in the Taipan's manufacturer Airbus and is lobbying the government not to scrap the program.
Mr Marles says his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu raised the issue with him when they met in September.
"France, in a completely respectful way, are advocating on behalf of their defence industry and you would expect that and it's totally appropriate," Mr Marles told reporters on Wednesday.
"We've been completely clear and upfront and honest with the French and they know that too, and I think they appreciate that."
The former Morrison government announced it would scrap the almost 50 Taipan helicopters and replace them with the US Black Hawks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with French President Emmanuel Macron in July and Australia is hoping to host the president later in the year.
Mr Albanese has said the government is working towards a "reset" of the relationship with France after tensions were strained when the Morrison government scrapped a $90 billion submarine contract.
Mr Marles said he was confident the relationship with France was moving forward.
But the defence minister added that Australia will continue to assess all of its capabilities to ensure they're cost effective and fit for purpose.
"We need to be making sure we have the best capability possible but it needs to provide value for money," he said.
Mr Marles has launched a review of defence's posture to determine what needs to be done to bridge capability gaps until Australia is able to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.
The review is due to be handed down in March.
Negotiations for a long-lasting free trade deal between Australia and the European Union are on the eve of being finalised, with hopes an agreement will be ratified by 2024.Australian officials including Trade Minister Don Farrell met with a delegation of the EU Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday to discuss its progression.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed disappointment over the failure of the United Nations Security Council to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine because of Russia’s right of veto
At least seven pediatric deaths along with other serious adverse events at hospitals will be investigated by Safer Care Victoria.Premier Daniel Andrews has expressed sympathy to the families of children who died in Victorian emergency departments since April as concerns grow over the state's embattled healthcare system.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is preparing to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for the second time in three months.Senator Wong is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where the war in Ukraine is a major focus for world leaders.
A U.S. aircraft carrier will visit South Korea this week for joint drills for the first time in about four years, officials of both countries said on Monday, as the allies seek to deploy U.S. nuclear-capable "strategic assets" to deter North Korea. USS Ronald Reagan will arrive at a naval base in the southern port city of Busan on Friday, South Korea's Navy said in a statement. "By conducting combined drills, the Navies of the two countries plan to strengthen their military readiness and demonstrate the firm resolve of the South Korea-U.S. alliance for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," the statement said.
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‘The command of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has almost certainly relocated its KILO-class submarines from their home port of Sevastopol’
The Russian-backed separatist parliament passed a law earlier on Tuesday outlining the details of the proposed vote, though the document made no mention of a date for the vote. Russian forces took full control of the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine earlier in the conflict, but Ukrainian officials on Monday said they had recaptured a village inside territory claimed by the LPR.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has requested Australia send further Bushmaster vehicles to help repel the Russian invasion.Mr Kubeba met with Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
During the hearing of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Sen. Jon Ossoff said a report showed that at least 990 individuals died in custody in 2021, and that the Department of Justice failed to investigate those deaths as they are required to by law.
It is unclear if the pair, who have been married for 25 years, have reconciled after Jennifer Flavin filed for divorce
Biden earlier vowed that American forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack
A 44-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy and evidence offences over a Northern Territory helicopter crash which claimed the life of a cast member of National Geographic's Outback Wrangler show.The man was detained on Wednesday for questioning then charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, destruction of evidence and providing a false statement in a statutory declaration.
The Albanese government is being urged to use its first address to the United Nations to deliver funding for famine-stricken regions across the globe.Foreign Minister Penny Wong is in New York for the 77th meeting of the UN General Assembly, where she will participate in 30 engagements throughout the week.
With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, the ICC has clarified the rules regarding one of cricket's most controversial acts. Read more here.
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Biden says US forces would come to Taipei’s defence in the event of an ‘unprecedented attack’ from China
Overshadowed by U.S. President Joe Biden's headline-grabbing vow that American forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack was his hint at possibly shifting U.S. policy to support the island's right to self-determination. Though the White House has taken pains to say Biden's most explicit statement yet about defending the Chinese-claimed island, made during an interview broadcast on Sunday, did not signify a policy change, some analysts say he may have undercut – intentionally or not – a U.S. stance of not taking a position on Taiwan's independence. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has long-vowed to bring Taiwan under Beijing's control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so.
