US backs potential sale of 220 Tomahawk missiles to Australia under Aukus

The State Department has approved a possible sale of the weapons systems worth US$895 million to Canberra

Australia’s defence industry minister said the move is to ‘promote peace and stability, by putting question marks in any potential adversary’s mind’

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Tomahawks are subsonic cruise missiles that launch from ships and submarines and provide long-range strike capability. File photo: US navy/AFP

Published: 9:21am, 17 Mar 2023

The US State Department approved a potential sale of Tomahawk missile systems worth US$895 million to Australia, further tightening security ties between the two nations under the Aukus partnership.

The provision of as many as 220 Tomahawk missiles to Australia would “support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US,” the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

“It is vital to the US national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defence capability,” the agency said, adding Australia would use the missiles for domestic defence and deterrence of “regional threats.”

Tomahawks are subsonic cruise missiles that launch from ships and submarines and provide long-range, deep strike capability.

The sale of the Tomahawk weapons systems was initially suggested as part of the Aukus security partnership signed between the US, UK and Australia in September 2021. Then-prime minister Scott Morrison said they would be fielded on Australia’s Hobart class destroyers.