JSF needed for defence not Bananas in PJs

Australia needs hard power as well as soft power and can't just rely on the ABC's Bananas in Pyjamas for national defence, communications minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

Mr Turnbull said the new Joint Strike Fighter was the latest and best and that was why Australia and many others wanted to buy them.

Responding to a question about spending $12 billion on new combat aircraft rather than devoting more funds to soft power such as can be delivered through the ABC's new China broadcast deal, he said both were important.

Mr Turnbull said both Labor and the coalition supported acquiring the latest fighters.

But this was controversial because of the amount of money involved.

"We have got to have the means to defend our country. And that cannot be just be done with the ABC," he said on the ABC's Q and A program.

"I would love to think the security of this country could be entrusted solely to Bananas in Pyjamas, Peppa Pig, the Wiggles but sadly it's not. We need to have both."

Mr Turnbull said planes and guns, soldiers and tanks were needed for defence.

"But there will always be controversy about whether this plane or this gun or this tank is the right choice," he said.