Australia to buy advanced US missiles in $6.1b deal

SYDNEY – Australia announced on Oct 22 a A$7 billion (S$6.1 billion) deal to arm its navy with cutting-edge US medium- and long-range missiles, at a time of rapidly escalating military tensions in the Asia-Pacific.

The agreement, hailed by Canberra as a “significant milestone”, retools Australia’s naval defences

in line with a new strategy unveiled in 2024

to deter China’s “coercive tactics” in the region.

Australia said it would spend the sum to acquire the ship-borne SM-6 missile, which can strike aircraft and cruise missiles, and the medium-range SM-2 Block III C missile, which boasts new guidance and homing capabilities.

“Australia faces the most complex geostrategic environment since World War II,” said Mr Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, who was visiting Washington.

The “world-leading” missiles would “keep Australians safe, deter any adversary and defend Australia’s national interests in the missile age”, he said.

The missiles are to be progressively deployed across Australia’s three Hobart-class destroyers and later the country’s planned Hunter-class anti-submarine frigates, the government said.

In April, Australia unveiled a defence strategy that envisaged a sharp rise in spending to counter its vulnerability to foes interrupting trade or preventing access to vital air and sea routes.

Besides rapidly developing its surface fleet, Australia

plans to deploy stealthy nuclear-powered submarines

in a tripartite agreement with the United States and Britain known as Aukus.

The new US missiles demonstrate the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) intention to enhance the “lethality” of its navy, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

“(They) will enable our navy to strike maritime, land and air targets at long range, and provide a terminal ballistic missile defence capability, boosting the capacity for the ADF to safeguard Australians and their interests”, he said. AFP