Australia is scrambling to deploy new long-range missiles as the recent arrival of powerful Chinese warships off the Australian coast delivers a sharp reminder of Beijing’s growing naval muscle.
In a move to boost military firepower, Canberra plans to arm Australian soldiers with anti-ship missiles and advanced targeting radars to protect the country’s vast maritime approaches, according to contract announcements as well as a flurry of recent official speeches and ministerial statements.
Two new types of advanced anti-ship missiles for the army fired from mobile launchers are under evaluation with a decision expected by the end of the year, the government has said.
Australian government officials have said that future versions of one of the contenders, Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile, were expected to have a range of up to 1,000km and could be fired from High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers. Australia has 42 HIMARS launchers on order from the United States, with launchers expected to be in service from 2026-27, according to the defense department.
The U.S. Army in June used two Precision Strike Missiles to successfully attack a moving target at sea during an exercise in the Pacific, the army said in a statement.
China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) jolted Australia’s security services with the deployment of three warships – one of its most potent cruisers, a frigate and a replenishment ship – close to the country’s biggest cities of Sydney and Melbourne late last month. Air traffic between Australia and New Zealand was disrupted with 49 flights diverted on February 21 when the Chinese flotilla held what appeared to be a live fire exercise in the Tasman Sea without notifying authorities in Canberra or Wellington.
The office of the Australian defense minister didn’t respond to questions for this story.
The new missiles for the Australian army would deliver a potent strike capability and act as a deterrent to potential adversaries, according to Mick Ryan, a retired Australian army Major General.
“You could put a HIMARS launcher with a maritime strike missile in Sydney and it would have the potential to hit one of those ships,” Ryan said.
New missiles for the Australian army are a key element of Canberra’s plan to prepare for a more assertive Chinese military presence in waters around Australia. They could also be deployed to support allied forces defending strategically important islands in the Asia-Pacific region in the event of conflict, military experts told Reuters.
New long-range missiles are also on order for Australia’s navy and air force.
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