Australia to buy more than 200 Tomahawk, Spike missiles in $1.1 billion deal

Asia-Pacific, News August 25, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Australia is set to spend $1.1 billion to boost its long-range strike capabilities. Canberra is buying more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the U.S. becoming one of few nations in the world to possess such missiles.

The Australian government is currently in the process of executing one of the largest military upgrades and modernization in the country’s recent history.

“We are investing in the capabilities our Defense 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,” Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said as he announced his country’s plans to buy the long-range missiles.

The newly acquired missiles would be paired with the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart-class destroyers. The U.S. State Department approved the sale of Tomahawk missiles in March 2023. The long-range missile has a range of 1,500 kilometers and can find and hit the target with extreme accuracy.

The Australian government is also spending more than $250 million on buying at least 60 Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range weapons from the U.S. and Spike LR2 anti-tank missile systems from Israel. The Spike missiles would be produced by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Australia’s Varley Group. The deliveries are expected by next year.

The latest large-scale defense spending comes amid China’s increasing military buildup that has shaken up the overall trajectory of the regional security environment. “With the acquisition of these formidable long-range strike missiles the Albanese Government is acting with pace to deliver on the recommendations of the Defense Strategic Review,” Richard Marles, said in a statement.

*^{Spike NLOS live-fire from JLTV. (Image Credit: Rafael)}*

“The 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,” he added.

In a defense review released by Australian authorities earlier this year, it was mentioned that Canberra needs to focus on prioritizing longer-range strike capacity amid rising “potential for conflict.” Australia’s defense minister said the report found the country’s defense force was “not fit for purpose.” Following the reports, the Australian administration has been pushing efforts to develop long-range and short-range missile systems.

Earlier this month, the U.S. pledged to help Australia in reinforcing and enhancing its long-range strike capabilities. The announcement was made following a meeting of the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Marles and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong as part of the Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) dialogue.

The U.S. defense giants, such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies are establishing their production units in Australia to help the country build new missile systems.