Defence hits wrong note with instruments

The Defence Department has admitted recent shopping sprees for musical instruments have been off key.

Department officials were grilled about reports they had purchased $2.3 million worth of instruments since 2015, including $25,000 in hand-made flutes, $62,000 worth of bagpipes and $95,000 worth of electric guitars.

There are fewer than 300 full-time musicians across the armed forces.

Chief of Defence Force Mark Binskin said musical instrument procurement would now be centralised across all three armed forces.

Official Kim Gillis told the Senate estimates hearing that prices paid in the past "were not reasonable".

"Some of these instruments purchased I can't defend," he said.