Australia will buy hundreds of fearsome cruise missiles for the navy as it awaits nuclear-powered submarines.
The US government has approved more than $2 billion of missile sales to Australia over the past three weeks, including cruise missiles that could add potency to the navy while Australia waits for itsThe State Department announced on Friday it had signed off on the sale of 220 Tomahawk missiles, control and communication systems and spare parts in a deal worth up to $US895 million .
The Morrison government’s plan to acquire Tomahawks was announced as part of establishing AUKUS in 2021. While it has long been expected they would be fitted to the navy’s Hobart class air warfare destroyers, the navy has also been exploring whether to incorporate them into its Collins class submarines when the ageing vessels undergo an update to extend their lives for another decade, beginning in 2026.
“Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region,” it said. “This is associated with equipping the Hobart class air warfare destroyers with long-range strike, to really give them a greater firepower and greater ability to keep potential adversaries at bay,” Mr Conroy told Sky News.
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