A federal MP has reminded military personnel that the “application of lethal violence” is their “core business”, while scantily clad dancers launch the Navy’s newest ship.

Former Special Forces officer Andrew Hastie, who is now Assistant Defence Minister, has issued a message to his West Australian constituents in which he outlined his view of the Defence force and the direction that it is heading. 

“Our military serves a vital role across Australian society, whether during pandemic, flood or fire,” Mr Hastie wrote in his electorate newsletter.

“But the ADF's core business will always be the application of lethal violence in the defence of our values, sovereignty and interests. We should never forget that.”

It comes alongside broader questions about military standards.

Investigations by Nine media outlets have shown the great lengths one soldier went to to hide shameful images and evidence of war crimes. It is alleged that a decorated former soldier buried USB drives containing damning images inside a plastic lunchbox in his backyard to hide them from police and military investigations.

Those who believe the military is losing its edge have pointed to the 2018 directive banning soldiers from wearing “death” symbols, such as skulls of grim reapers, as evidence that things are softening.

Liberal backbencher Philip Thompson, who had to apologise after threatening to harm Muslims in a 2012 social media post, says that having Mr Hastie as Assistant Defence Minister and Peter Dutton as Defence Minister will help with “bringing back our core values”. 

He said Australia’s military had “gone a little bit woke over the past few years”, lurching “too far to the left”. 

“When we go on operations, [the ADF’s job is to] have an unapologetic aggression and violence to get the mission done,” he said. 

Neil James from the Australia Defence Association has supported the claims about the military's "core business", but said Mr Thompson is missing the larger point.

“The whole point about banning stupid cartoon symbols in the defence force is to restore professionalism as a war fighting organisation,” he said.

“It's not a case of political correctness, it's a case of getting rid of a stupid young fashion that detracts from the professionalism.”

Questions are also being asked about the appropriateness of hiring a twerking dance troupe at the commissioning of a new Navy vessel over the weekend. 

The display included dancers in bright red body suits, black hot pants and red berets energetically dancing in front of the Navy’s newest ship.  

“I don't think it's appropriate to be twerking,” Mr Thompson said.

“Standards in the ADF, and definitely when commissioning a ship, should be a little bit higher than that.”

A government figure speaking on condition of anonymity allegedly asked reporters; “What would Horatio Nelson think of this shitshow?”

It all comes alongside serious issues with Australia's multi-billion-dollar Naval Shipbuilding Plan.