30-10-2024 (SYDNEY) Australia has announced a significant expansion of its missile defence capabilities in response to growing strategic concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly following China’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in the South Pacific.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, outlined the nation’s comprehensive strategy to enhance its defensive and offensive missile capabilities, backed by substantial investments in domestic manufacturing and international partnerships.
The announcement comes in the wake of China’s September ICBM test, which saw a missile travel more than 11,000 kilometres before landing in waters northeast of Australia. “We expressed significant concern about that ballistic missile test, particularly its entry into the South Pacific, given the Treaty of Rarotonga’s designation of the region as a nuclear weapons-free zone,” Conroy emphasised.
Australia’s defence enhancement programme includes a recently announced A$7 billion agreement with the United States for SM-2 IIIC and Raytheon SM-6 long-range missiles. This forms part of a broader A$74 billion commitment to missile acquisition and defence over the next decade.
In a significant boost to domestic defence manufacturing, Australia will invest A$316 million in establishing a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) facility in partnership with Lockheed Martin. The facility, scheduled to commence operations in 2029, will have the capacity to produce 4,000 units annually, representing a quarter of current global production.
Additionally, a groundbreaking partnership with France’s Thales will establish Australia’s first 155mm M795 artillery ammunition manufacturing facility in Benalla, Victoria. The plant, set to begin production in 2028, will have the capability to produce up to 100,000 rounds annually.
These initiatives reflect Australia’s strategic response to what Conroy described as “the new missile age” in the Indo-Pacific region. The country’s naval capabilities will be further enhanced with the introduction of Tomahawk missiles by late 2024, extending the fleet’s striking range tenfold to 2,500 kilometres.
