Over 200 Tomahawk land attack missiles will be deployed on Australian navy vessels.
The missiles,manufactured by defence giant Raytheon,will be deployed on the navy’s Hobart-class air warfare destroyers at a cost of $1.3 billion.
The long-awaited purchase comes as the government announced it would also double the amount of high mobility rocket launchers it is purchasing from the US at a cost of $1.6 billion.
The government will also spend $430 million to acquire more than 60 extended-range anti-radiation guided missiles from the US to be operated on the air force’s Growler and Super Hornet aircrafts.
A further $50 million will be spent on equipping the army’s Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles with Spike Long-Range 2 anti-tank guided missiles.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the purchase of “formidable long-range strike missiles” showed the government was moving quickly to deliver on the recommendations of the defence strategic review,released in April.
“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,” he said.