Australia’s Modernisation Boost for Maritime Security

Australia will invest AUD$1 billion ($768.5 million) to commence the early development of advanced guided weapons to enhance Australia’s maritime security. This significant commitment will modernise Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) platforms to project and maintain sea control.

This project will provide (RAN) with leading-edge long-range anti-ship missiles, extended range surface-to-air missiles, advanced light weight torpedoes, and maritime land strike capabilities.

With ranges in excess of 370 kilometres for anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, and 1,500 kilometres for maritime land strike missiles, these new weapons will enhance the protection of our maritime resources and borders, and hold adversaries at risk at much greater distances.

Minister for Defence, Linda Reynolds said new investments would be made across the current and future submarine and surface combatant fleets, to provide the Australian Defence Force with more options to protect Australia’s interests.

“These new capabilities will provide a strong, credible deterrent that will ensure stability and security in the region,” Minister Reynolds said.

“The planned acquisitions – when aligned with the ongoing state-of-the-art combat system development and National shipbuilding programmes – represent an investment of up to AUD$24 billion ($18.4 billion), which will build a lethal and highly responsive Navy for decades to come.

Reynolds said that project also seeks opportunities to broaden Australia’s weapons manufacturing base, reinforcing the government’s long-term commitment to Australian industry and delivering sovereign industrial capabilities.

This investment is part of the government’s AUD$183 billion ($140.6 billion) Naval Shipbuilding Plan, which will see up to 23 classes of vessels built here in Australia, creating thousands of jobs and significant opportunities for Australian industry.

As part of SEA 1300, the Ministry of Defence will continue its long-term investment and key contribution to the Evolved SEASPARROW Block 2 missile programme, and commence investment in developing the Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC and the Standard Missile 6 Block 1, to meet Australia’s surface-to-air missile capability requirements. –adj/kf/mgm (Photo: Royal Australian Navy)