Defence spend increases in budget: Smith THE Australian Defence Force won't suffer widespread spending cuts in this year's federal budget. Defence Minister Stephen Smith has promised a "modest" increase for his portfolio, with spending to be more than $100 billion over four years. Releasing the government's new Defence White Paper on Friday, Mr Smith said although Australia faced difficult fiscal times, the May 14 budget would not show reduced defence spending. "The forward estimate years for the forthcoming budget will match, indeed have a modest increase on, the forward estimates for the previous budget," Mr Smith told reporters in Canberra. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government would be spending about $1.5 billion over the forward estimates for the purchase of 12 new Super Hornets with Growler electronic capability. This is an interim measure to operate alongside the existing Super Hornets fleet until Australia takes delivery of much-delayed Joint Strike Fighters as the principal ADF strike capability. Three operational squadrons of the JSF would enter service around 2020, she said. Mr Smith confirmed the government maintains an aspirational target of two per cent GDP growth in ADF spending over the forward estimates. Mr Smith said Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has also called for no further cuts to Defence spending and an aspirational target of two per cent. "It's called an outbreak of bipartisanship on defence spending," Mr Smith said. Labor set an aspirational three per cent spending target in the 2009 Defence White Paper. "What we have discovered over the time since then is it is very difficult, if not impossible, to map out precise funding for Defence or any other area of government when you are facing changing economic and fiscal circumstances," Mr Smith said. "In this case, it is called the Global Financial Crisis ... the adverse consequences of which are ongoing," he said. Instead, the Defence budget is now on a four-year forward estimates model with a six-year guide after that. Defence Force Chief General David Hurley said he believed there had been a good budget process given the reality of the government's fiscal position, which preserved Defence capability into the future. "I think this has been a good outcome for all," he said.