(4 hours ago) Friday, March 17, 2023, 4:53 pm
Australia will buy $900 million Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States. The US State Department has already approved the sale. According to the agreement, Australia is getting a total of 220 Tomahawk missiles. The deal includes technical assistance as well as missiles. Australia had earlier announced that it would buy three nuclear-powered submarines from the US. The purchase of missiles was approved within three days of that announcement. This was reported by Al-Jazeera.
According to the news, Australia is increasing its military power mainly to deal with the growing Chinese threat. Australian officials say the new nuclear-powered submarine will be capable of firing Tomahawk missiles. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific, the US Department of Defense said in a statement on Friday. Australia’s strategic position contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region.
Deploying the Tomahawk weapon system will enhance Australia’s ability to work with US forces worldwide.
This jet-powered cruise missile is primarily used by the United States and Britain. The US Department of Defense said Australia’s purchase of these weapons would not change the basic military balance in the region. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said Australia needs long-range missiles. “It’s very important to make sure we have long-range strike missiles,” Marles told Australia’s Channel Nine. It will help us keep Australia safer.
Australian Defense Industry, International Development and Pacific Affairs Minister Pat Conroy said the Tomahawk missiles could be launched from Virginia-class submarines. Australia will buy both submarines and missiles from the United States. “We definitely want to ensure the best weapons for the Australian Defense Force,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
