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Australian navy ships will be equipped with missiles capable of striking targets 1500 kilometres away in a $3 billion boost to the nation\u2019s long-range firepower designed to deter potential adversaries from encroaching on Australian territory.<\/p>\n
The Albanese government will announce on Monday that it is acquiring over 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, making Australia just the third nation to secure the highly potent weaponry.<\/p>\n
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Over 200 Tomahawk land attack missiles will be deployed on Australian navy vessels.<\/span><\/p>\n The missiles, manufactured by defence giant Raytheon, will be deployed on the navy\u2019s Hobart-class air warfare destroyers at a cost of $1.3 billion.<\/p>\n The long-awaited purchase comes as the government announced it would also double the amount of high mobility rocket launchers it is purchasing from the US at a cost of $1.6 billion.<\/p>\n The government will also spend $430 million to acquire more than 60 extended-range anti-radiation guided missiles from the US to be operated on the air force\u2019s Growler and Super Hornet aircrafts.<\/p>\n A further $50 million will be spent on equipping the army\u2019s Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles with Spike Long-Range 2 anti-tank guided missiles.<\/p>\n Defence Minister Richard Marles said the purchase of \u201cformidable long-range strike missiles\u201d showed the government was moving quickly to deliver on the recommendations of the defence strategic review, released in April.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of having not just war stocks, but a domestic missile manufacturing industry and this announcement will help deliver that.\u201d<\/p>\n The government described the Tomahawks as a \u201cworld-leading strike missile capability, with a range of 1500 kilometres\u201d although some military analysts believe they could strike targets over 2000 kilometres away.<\/p>\n A Tomahawk missile fired by the US Navy in 2018.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>US Navy<\/cite><\/p>\n The Morrison government announced the plan to purchase Tomahawks when it revealed the AUKUS pact with the US and United Kingdom in September 2021.<\/p>\n The US State Department approved the sale of up to 220 Tomahawks to Australia in March.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific,\u201d the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government is implementing the findings of the defence strategic review.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Ellinghausen<\/cite><\/p>\n Some doubt about the Tomahawk purchase emerged in late April when Marles said that \u201cthe focus is not on that in the immediate term\u201d and described the missiles as \u201csomething that we will consider over the journey\u201d.<\/p>\n Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said: \u201cAs we enter what many are calling the missile age, these will be vital tools for the Australian Defence Force to do its job of defending Australians.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are buying these weapons now to deliver capability quickly, but we are also considering options to manufacture missiles domestically because of the importance of building sovereign Australian defence manufacturing capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Strategic Analysis Australia director Peter Jennings, a former head of strategy at the Defence Department, praised the Tomahawk purchase, saying: \u201cThis will provide a strike range to the navy it has not had for a long time and offer a genuine sense of deterrence to potential adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n The US Congress on Saturday gave approval for Australia to acquire an extra 22 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers on top of the 20 announced in January.<\/p>\n The government hopes the system will eventually be used to fire precision strike missiles with a range of 500 kilometres.<\/p>\n HIMARS has been hailed by one analyst as the \u201cnew god of war\u201d because of its success on the battlefield in Ukraine.<\/p>\n The defence strategic review called on the government to pursue \u201can enhanced long-range strike capability in all [military] domains\u201d because advances in defence technology had reduced the benefits of Australia\u2019s remote island geography.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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