SYDNEY - Australia on Monday (21/8/2023) decided it would buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States (US). Indonesia's neighbor will be the third country to use this sophisticated missile after America and Britain. Canberra's decision is part of a defense overhaul with a budget of up to AUD1.3 billion. The Tomahawk cruise missile will allow Australia to increase its long-range strike capability amid tensions in the region fueled by China's military rise. "We invest in the capabilities our Defense Forces need to keep our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today," Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement. quoted by Reuters.
The US State Department in March approved the sale of the Tomahawk, which has a range of 1,500 km, but did not indicate when the contract had been signed or talks had concluded. The ship version of the Tomahawk missile, manufactured by RTX Corp, will be deployed on the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class destroyers. Australia feels the need to increase its defense strength as China is undertaking its largest military build-up since the end of World War II. Earlier this year, it agreed to work with the United States and Britain to develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet in the AUKUS deal.
The announcement of the deal to buy the Tomahawk missiles comes days after the US approved a possible sale of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Australia for $975 million.
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