As part of its echidna defense strategy, Australia will spend $1 billion on new high-tech sea mines. It's part of an ongoing effort to bolster the Australian Defense Force in response to China's burgeoning military capability, which poses a potential danger.
The Navy began seeking my makers to demonstrate their wears in 2021, and Defence insiders have informed the Sydney Morning Herald that procurement from a European manufacturer will soon be revealed.
Australia Sea Mines
On the ocean floor are modern sea mines. They may be activated and deactivated remotely and can be deployed by ship, submarine, or aircraft. They can employ auditory, magnetic, and pressure forces to identify and distinguish between surface ships, civilian and military vessels, friendly and hostile ships, and submersibles from different fleets.
Hugh White, a distinguished Australian strategist at the Australian National University, despite their efficacy and cost-effectiveness, sea mines are not considered a particularly beautiful component of a naval battle, according to the author.
However, naval policy analyst Greg Mapson supported the navy's decision to acquire sea mines when it solicited expressions of interest from manufacturers, as per Daily Mail. Such capabilities are a natural fit for what Defense Minister Richard Marles has termed Australia's "echidna" or porcupine strategy, in which the nation would create enough "spiky" weapons to keep its enemies at bay.
This concept is based on the success of so-called "asymmetric weaponry" in the Ukraine conflict, where precision drones and missiles have destroyed considerably larger tanks and other weapons.
As part of this initiative, the Department of Defense stated in January that it will acquire 20 land-based "god of war" High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that can unleash surface-to-surface precision-guided missiles capable of striking an opponent 300 kilometers away.
Since the 14th century, the weapons have been deployed in practically every maritime conflict, but they have fallen out of favor with Western naval chiefs, including Australia, in recent decades. China has amassed up to one hundred thousand naval mines as part of its huge military development.
According to sources in the defense industry, the federal government will shortly announce that it has struck a contract with a European weapons manufacturer to acquire a considerable quantity of sea mines. Per SMH, the Defense Department intends to acquire sophisticated multi-influence land mines that respond to the auditory, magnetic, and pressure effects of passing boats. They can be positioned on the ocean floor by ship, submarine, or aircraft.
A representative for the government claimed that new sea mines can distinguish between military targets and other ships, distinguishing them from land mines. Australia wants to buy sea mines that can be remotely activated and deactivated, allowing friendly commercial and navy boats to transit through waterways and ports securely.
According to unnamed sources, the entire cost of the deal will likely range between $500 million and $1 billion. Italy and Spain are two of Europe's foremost producers of marine mines.
Read Also: North Korea Uranium Mine Collapsed
China's Trade Ban Against Australia
Tim Ayres, Australia's Assistant Minister for Trade, met with his Chinese counterpart on the margins of the World Economic Forum and demanded the removal of China's trade barriers on Australian exports, according to his office.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua said earlier that Thursday's meeting between Australian and Chinese officials resulted in an agreement for the two countries' trade ministers to undertake virtual consultations shortly. The video conference between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his Australian counterpart, Don Farrell, has not yet been scheduled, as per Reuters via MSN.
After years of rocky relations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Xi Jinping met in November on the sidelines of the G20 summit to improve bilateral relationships. However, Penny Wong, Australia's foreign minister, stated on Thursday that it was a gradual process.
China imposed unofficial bans on Australian coal and wine in 2020 after Australia demanded an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and banned telecom giant Huawei from 5G networks. In January, many Chinese corporations were granted authorization to continue purchasing Australian coal.
Canberra has lodged two complaints with the World Trade Organization against China's duties on Australian wine and barley, and is monitoring whether Beijing removes unofficial trade barriers on other Australian goods, including lobsters. Murray Watt, Australia's Minister of Agriculture, stated on Friday that there was chatter in the industry of inquiries from Chinese purchasers, but nothing concrete.
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