Defence Force’s multi-million dollar spend on musical instruments slammed as “frivolous”

Join the armed forces, see the world, and get some top grade music equipment while you’re at.

An investigation by the Sydney’s Sun-Herald found that the Department of Defence has spent more than $2.3 million on musical gear since 2015 – and $4.3 million since 2007.

This is despite the fact there are fewer than 300 full-time musicians in the armed forces.

According to the newspaper, military musicians are now equipped with $25,000 hand-made flutes, more than $62,000 worth of bagpipes, $95,000 worth of guitars and dozens of woodwind instruments priced well above $10,000.

The musical instruments were just part of the problem: the Australian Defence Force is accused of inaccurate records and documentation, and decision making, of millions of dollars of contracts.

Defence Minister Marise Payne has ordered a review into the way the ADF buys its instruments.

The Sun-Herald also spoke to RMIT Professor of Human Security and International Diplomacy Joseph Siracusa, who called the spend “frivolous” and that “somebody’s ripping somebody off here.”

Prof. Siracusa has looked at military budgets for 43 years, and said that US military musicians paid for their own gear.

He told the paper, "I come from Chicago and if you had a story about the police department spending $4 million on musical equipment you’d have the FBI investigating the place in the morning.”