Australia announces A$1 billion missile programme with US, amid China’s activities in Pacific
- Citing the ‘changing global environment’, PM Scott Morrison says Canberra will partner with a weapons manufacturer to build its own guided missiles
- The news comes amid growing unease in the Pacific region about China’s increasing assertiveness and military abilities
Citing the “changing global environment”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it would partner with a weapons manufacturer to build the missiles in a plan that would create thousands of jobs as well as export opportunities.
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Morrison said it would initially spend A$1 billion (US$761 million) on the plan as part of a huge 10-year investment in defence and the defence industry.
“Creating our own sovereign capability on Australian soil is essential to keep Australians safe,” Morrison said.
It’s being driven by the two Cs: China and Covid-19
Michael Shoebridge, the director of defence, strategy and national security at the independent think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the announcement was welcome news and filled a strategic gap.
“It’s being driven by the two Cs: China and Covid-19,” Shoebridge said.
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Australia’s most pressing need was for long-range anti-ship missiles that could be fired from warships or aircraft, he said, adding that new army fighting vehicles also needed missile capabilities.
Shoebridge said it would make sense for Australia to build a new generation of hypersonic missiles in collaboration with the US. Potential commercial partners included large US weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, he said, although other manufacturers might be involved in developing specific systems, for instance propulsion.
Australia is part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, along with the US, Canada, Britain and New Zealand.
“We will work closely with the United States on this important initiative to ensure that we understand how our enterprise can best support both Australia’s needs and the growing needs of our most important military partner,” Defence Minister Peter Dutton said.
He said building weapons in Australia would not only enhance its capabilities but would also ensure the nation had sufficient supply for combat operations if there was any disruption to global supply chains.
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Before the announcement, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute had estimated that Australia would need to spend A$100 billion over the next 20 years on buying missiles and guided weapons.
Shoebridge said the home-built missiles would help provide a military deterrent during the current decade while Australia waited for a series of new frigates and attack-class submarines to be built.
In the event of a conflict, Australia would need a lot of missiles quickly and could not rely on importing them on time, Shoebridge said. Such a scenario was possible, for instance if Beijing decided the time was right to take control of Taiwan by force, he added.
Canberra’s announcement also fitted with the US strategy of dispersing its forces and capabilities so it was not vulnerable in any key locations, Shoebridge said.
