"Brexit is a great setback for the security of the Western world," said Stephan Fruehling, an adviser on the government's recent defence white paper and an associate professor at the Australian National University. The UK's departure from the EU will be good for gold, but create uncertainty for other businesses Credit:Virginia Mayo He branded the successful exit vote a victory for Russia, which under Vladimir Putin has been trying to drive wedges into Europe. "For Russia, this is a great win as it demonstrates that the institutions that hold together the West are cracking, and can be prised apart – which is exactly what Russia's policy toward the EU and NATO is seeking to achieve," Professor Fruehling said. "Russia is already financing anti-EU parties in many European countries, and will be encouraged to step up its corrosive and subversive influence on domestic debates in the EU member states."

Critically for Australia, it would leave Washington less time to focus on its "pivot" to Asia. Brexit is a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, experts warn. Credit:Simon Dawson "The turmoil to come can only reinforce the recent tendency of US re-engagement with Europe on the security front," he said. "Washington now has yet another crisis to manage in Europe, and will have even less time for allies in Asia." A US focus on Asia is generally regarded as vital to reassuring the region it will not be swamped by China's rise, which would otherwise encourage a major Asian arms build-up. Australian officials believe that Moscow will welcome the move but China is likely to be worried about the global economic uncertainty, Fairfax Media understands.

Euan Graham, director of international security at the Lowy Institute, branded the result "a disaster". "It just means a more splintered and fractured EU and a broader West into the bargain," he said. Britain's credibility as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council would come into question, he said. He added that the strategic and political uncertainty could last longer and be more profound than the economic upheaval. Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, likewise said it was a "serious blow to the UK's standing as a global permanent five security power". Britain would struggle to play the same prominent security role especially if there was a revived Scottish bid for independence – which is widely considered likely.

Britain would immediately lose about 10 per cent of its military force to an independent Scotland and, critically, have to find a new home for its fleet of strategic nuclear submarines – at a potential cost of tens of billions of pounds. Mr Jennings said Britain had been a natural "entry point" into Europe for Australia. Australia had "significantly underinvested" diplomatically in Brussels, Paris and Berlin, which would now have to be rectified. "In time we might have to think about reducing military connections with the UK … because there's less interest for us to continue those connections." He added it could strengthen Donald Trump's campaign for the US presidency by signalling to voters that "you can poke the establishment in the eye".

Former Chief of Army and now director of Canberra University's National Security Institute, Peter Leahy, said the exit could harm European defence initiatives that allowed sharing of resources and could put pressure on Britain's military capabilities. "This is the world as we've known it, but there is a real chance now of economic and strategic uncertainty," he said. Ric Smith, a former Defence Department head and senior diplomat, said: "Whereas with Britain we had a better understanding, even a window into the European Union, that will now be from our point of view a harder entity to work with." Follow us on Twitter