Australia will buy modern American missiles for $4.7 billion

SYDNEY, 22 October 2024 (BSS/AFP) – Australia announced a $4.7 billion deal on Tuesday to equip its navy with the latest US medium- and long-range missiles at a time of soaring military tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

The agreement, described by Canberra as a “major milestone”, retools Australia’s naval defenses under a new strategy unveiled this year to curb China’s “coercive tactics” in the region.

Australia said it would spend A$7 billion ($4.7 billion) to acquire the SM-6 ship-borne missile, which can hit aircraft and cruise missiles, and the SM-2 Block III C medium-range missile, which has new targeting and attack capabilities. homing. .

“Australia faces the most challenging geostrategic environment since World War II,” said Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy, who was visiting Washington.

The “world’s best” missiles “will keep Australians safe, deter any adversary and protect Australia’s national interests in the missile age”, he said.

The missiles will be gradually deployed on Australia’s three Hobart-class destroyers, followed by the country’s planned Hunter-class anti-submarine frigates, the government said.

Australia unveiled a defense strategy in April that included a sharp increase in defense spending to counter its vulnerability to enemies disrupting trade or access to vital air and sea routes.

In addition to rapidly developing its surface fleet, Australia plans to field stealth nuclear submarines under a trilateral agreement with the United States and Britain known as AUKUS.

New US missiles demonstrate the Australian Defense Force’s (ADF) commitment to making its navy more “lethal”, Defense Minister Richard Marles has said.

They “will enable our navy to engage sea, land and air targets at long range, as well as provide the ultimate ballistic missile defense capability, enhancing the ADF’s ability to protect Australians and their interests,” he said.