Australia will invest a total of $833 million to boost its long-range strike capabilities after securing a deal to buy more than 200 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US.
Defence Minister Richard Marles stated that Australia will be only one of three nations to have Tomahawks along with the US and Britain.
“We are investing in the capabilities our Defence Force needs to hold our adversaries at risk further from our shores and keep Australians safe in the complex and uncertain world in which we live today,” Marles said.
The ship-launched version of the missiles, manufactured by RTX Corp (RTX.N), will be deployed on the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart-class destroyers, according to the minister.
Australia underlined that it needs to upgrade its defense forces as China is undertaking the biggest military build-up since the end of World War Two.
Last March, the US State Department approved the sale of the Tomahawks, which had a range of 1,500 km (932 miles). However, it did not indicate at the time that a contract was signed or talks were concluded.
