Australia plans to boost its navy's capabilities by supplying it with 200 tomahawk missiles as concerns grow regarding China's continued military build-up in the region.
On Monday, Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy is expected to announce a $1.7 billion investment in new, hi-tech missiles to expand the striking power of the Australian Defense Force (ADF).
Australia To Supply Navy with Tomahawk Missiles
The purchase of the missiles follows the recommendations made in the defense strategic review to bolster the ADF's medium-range immediately advanced and high-speed missile defense capabilities.
Conroy said that buying the weapons was made to quickly enhance the ADF's capability. Still, he emphasized that the Australian government was also considering options to manufacture such missiles within the region.
Additionally, he said that the missiles would be vital tools for the ADF to defend Australians properly. Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles are long-range guided missiles with a maximum range of 1,500 kilometers, as per News.com.au.
In March, the US State Department approved the sale of roughly $1.3 billion worth of Tomahawk missiles. At the time, officials said that it was "vital" to the national interest to assist Australia in developing and maintaining a powerful and ready self-defense capability.
The missiles were initially planned to be fitted to the Hobart-class destroyers of Australia. However, they could also be equipped on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines that the country plans to buy from the US.
With this development, Australia becomes the third defense force to acquire the weapons after the US and the UK. In a statement, Defense Minister Richard Marles said that Australia needed to be able to defend itself amid an increasingly chaotic global landscape.
The situation also comes as Australia, Japan, and the US plan to conduct a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines later this week. It is meant to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region following a recent show of aggression by the Chinese nation in the disputed waters, according to the Associated Press.
Joint Navy Drills
The decision comes after Chinese coast guard ships on Aug. 5 blasted Philippine vessels in the contested waterway using water cannons. Disputes in the region have long been considered a potential flashpoint and have already become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China.
The planned drill between the three nations will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers that would sail together in a show of force. The commanders of the regions are also set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after they conduct the offshore drills.
The two Philippine security officials who spoke of the matter did so under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The US will deploy an aircraft carrier, the USS America, while Japan will be sending one of its largest warships, the helicopter carrier JS Izumo.
On the other hand, the Royal Australian Navy will be deploying its HMAS Canberra, which can also carry helicopters. While being held in Philippine waters, the Asian nation itself will not be part of this week's drills due to military logistical limitations, said The Star.
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