Australia has locked in a deal to buy potent long-range weapons from the United States, officials said Monday, as the country looks to counter China’s rising military power.
The cache of more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles — costing $830 million — would be some of the “most powerful and technologically advanced” weapons in Australia’s arsenal, the country’s defence department said.
Australia is embarking on a major military overhaul, pivoting towards long-range strike capabilities in an effort to keep would-be foes such as China at arms length.
“We are investing in the capabilities our Defence 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,“ Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.
The Tomahawk cruise missiles have a strike range of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) and will be carried by the Australian navy’s Hobart Class destroyers.
They will eventually be used by the roving nuclear-powered submarines acquired by Australia under the landmark AUKUS pact.
Australia’s AUKUS allies — the UK and the United States — are the only other countries with significant stockpiles of Tomahawk missiles.
Source : The Sun