Australian defence review plots pivot from armour to missiles

Australia will accelerate efforts to buy longer-range missiles to counter the growing threat from China, a major defense review said.

It warns that the country can no longer be protected by geographic isolation in the “missile age.”

The government plans to spend around A$19 billion ($12 billion, £10 billion) to make immediate recommendations.

The 110-page report is said to be the biggest overhaul of Australia’s defenses since World War II.

The Defense Strategy Review comes amid heightened military tensions in the region over China’s stance on Taiwan. Taiwan has repeatedly promised to take it by force if necessary.

The Chinese navy has also established a large presence in the South China Sea, claiming parts of the South China Sea as its territory, contrary to international law.

“China’s military buildup is now the largest and most ambitious of any country since the end of World War II. It is done without feeling,” the report said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the review would “shape the future, not wait for it to be shaped” and its recommendations would make Australia “more self-reliant, better prepared and safer”. Told.

Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marls said he was recommending that the Australian military shift its focus from land-based armor to “long-range strike capabilities using Australian-manufactured munitions”.

“We need to have a defense force capable of engaging in ‘impact projections,'” Marrez told reporters.

The minister said the acquisition of “precision strike missiles” with a range of more than 500km (310 miles) would give the army “the firepower and mobility it needs for the future”.

The review says the Australian Defense Force (ADF) should be given greater operational capability from its northern bases to strengthen Australia’s northern defenses.

Australia will also expedite plans to acquire a ground-based High Mobility Artillery Rocket (HIMARS) system that the Ukrainian military will use to deter Russian advances.

Many projects, including plans for new self-propelled artillery and ammunition supply vehicles, will be shelved to fund new priorities.

Marrez said the review also emphasized the importance of maintaining a “continuous shipbuilding capacity in the country”.

In March, the US State Department also approved the sale of 220 cruise missiles to Australia in a deal worth $895 million.

Non-nuclear missiles will be used by Virginia-class submarines acquired by Australia from the United States under the Oaks Defense Agreement agreed by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.