Australia will be one of just three countries to have Tomahawk cruise missiles in its arsenal. Image source: US National Archives
In a more than $1.7 billion deal, Australia will purchase 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, announced deputy prime minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles today.
Australia will be one of just three nations to have Tomahawks in its arsenal, alongside the United Kingdom and the US itself.
“With the acquisition of these formidable long-range strike missiles the Albanese Government is acting with pace to deliver on the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review,” said Marles via a statement.
“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.”
The sale of the missiles was approved back in March, but the deal was only finalised today.
Tomahawk missiles have a range of 1,500km. Australia’s purchase of ship-based Tomahawks to be deployed on Hobart-class destroyers in the Royal Australian navy.
“As 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,” said Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
“We 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.”
The government have been focusing on upgrading Australia’s defence force, responding in part to China undertaking its biggest military build-up since World War II.
Along with the Tomahawk, Marles announced that the Albanese government plans to spend $431 million to buy more than 60 advanced anti-radiation guidance missiles from the US. These air-to-surface missiles are designed to be used against enemy radar systems.
The Australian Army’s Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles (CRVs) will also be armed with long-range anti-tank guided missiles, in another deal worth $50 million.
Boxer CRVs are manufactured in Australia, with a billion dollar deal to sell Boxers to Germany confirmed earlier this year.
