Australia will buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, the government announced on Monday August 21; it seeks to counter China’s growing military power in the region.
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Australia’s $830 million BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile order will provide the Australian Armed Forces with the weapons among “ most powerful and technologically advanced “, welcomed the Ministry of Defense. Australia has embarked on a major military overhaul, moving towards long-range strike capabilities to keep potential enemies such as China at bay.
A range of more than a thousand kilometers
“ We invest in the capabilities our defense force needs to hold off adversaries away from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world we live in today. said Defense Minister Richard Marles in a statement. Tomahawk missiles, with a range of more than a thousand kilometers, will be carried by destroyers of the class Hobart of the Australian Navy. They are also intended to be used by nuclear submarines acquired by Australia under the AUKUS military pact, signed between Canberra, London and Washington.
“ As we enter what many call the age of missiles, these will be essential tools in enabling the Australian Defense Force to fulfill its mission of defending Australians said Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy. Canberra said in January 2023 that it had also accepted an offer from the United States for the supply of Himars rockets, the mobile artillery system used in particular by the Ukrainian army against Russia.
” Building Sovereign Capabilities »
Washington recently announced it would help Australia build its own missile manufacturing industry, in a bid to shorten war-disrupted supply chains in Ukraine. “ We’re buying these guns now for quick capabilities said Mr. Conroy. ” But we are also considering options to manufacture missiles domestically, as it is important to build sovereign defense manufacturing capabilities in Australia. “, he continued. The US military has been testing prototype hypersonic cruise missiles in remote areas of southern Australia in recent years.
(With AFP)
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