They include the FA/18 Super Hornet strike aircraft which costs $25,625 an hour to fly, the Airbus KC30A refueller which costs $16,000 a hour, the C-17 Globemaster transport plane which costs $24,000 a flying hour, the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which costs $15,000 a flying hour, and the E7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft which costs $45,277 an hour

The prices included maintenance, fuel, operation and spares costs and were drawn from aircraft manufacturers, the US Air Force, Australian Parliament and Defence Department.

Mr Abbott in last year's budget was praised as making a credible start on the government's election promise to boost spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product within a decade. Spending increased 6 per cent to $29.3 billion. The defence forces got money above their normal budgets to fight wars.

"Apart from more money for operations I believe we will see a modest increase in defence spending in 2015-16," Australian Strategic Policy Institute budget analyst Mark Thomson said on Friday.

"The government is running a deficit so there is no real pressure on defence spending so we will probably see defence get a bit more again this year.

"Essentially the government needs to make a respectable effort to climb towards its spending promise of 2 per cent of GDP to make it look credible."

Mr Thomson said most defence watchers were awaiting the release of the Defence White Paper, the accompanying multibillion-dollar weapons spending wish list and an industry statement for direction on the long-term future of defence.

"In a sense this one is a holding document," he said.

The budget was expected to include details of job reductions related to an effort to cut waste and inefficiency, and selling off surplus defence property.

Defence sources said the white paper, already delayed from May, may now not be published until at least October.