Senator Jacqui Lambie has warned the Chinese warships that recently carried out live-fire drills off the Australian coast expose a critical gap in the nation’s defences.

Lambie was speaking on Today this morning after the Department of Defence confirmed the three Chinese vessels have been tracked 296km east of Tasmania, her home state.

“It’s not China that’s bothering me this morning. It’s our Defence force and the equipment that it has,” she said.

“And quite frankly, it’s a disgrace … We cannot protect ourselves.”

Lambie, a former soldier, said China was behaving with “big boy tactics” but she was worried about Australia’s response.

“We are rowing about AUKUS (defence agreement). We’re rowing about submarines that are coming in 20 years time, which are an absolute waste of money.

“And I don’t understand why we don’t have missiles all up the top and around Australia.”

The Defence Department said the Chinese flotilla entered Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone early yesterday.

“People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Task Group 107, comprised of the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, the Renhai-class Cruiser Zunyi, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, is operating approximately 160 nautical miles (296 kilometres) east of Hobart, inside of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone,” it said in a statement.

“Australia expects all militaries operating in the region to engage transparently, maintain the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and we encourage all states to maintain open communication to ensure their actions support regional security and stability.

“We respect the right of all states under international law to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, just as we expect others to respect our right to do the same.”

The department also released new images of the Chinese warships.

It said the ADF was working with the New Zealand military to monitor the vessels.

Airservices Australia revealed on Monday that a Virgin Airlines pilot was the first to spot three Chinese warships off Australia’s east coast last week.

Defence analyst John Blaxland told Today this morning the presence of the Chinese warships so close to Australia should be a wake-up call for the federal government.

“This is China playing in our in our in our front yard in the Tasman Sea in a way that is pretty much unprecedented.”