As a stark reminder of Beijing’s increasing naval might, powerful Chinese warships have just arrived off the Australian coast, prompting Australia to rush the deployment of new long-range missiles.
Contract announcements, a flurry of recent official speeches and ministerial pronouncements, and other evidence point to Canberra’s intention to equip Australian soldiers with anti-ship missiles and powerful targeting radars to increase military capability and safeguard the country’s extensive maritime approaches.
According to the administration, a decision about two new types of advanced anti-ship missiles for the army fired from mobile launchers is anticipated by the end of the year.
According to Australian government officials, the Precision Strike Missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, was one of the competitors. Future missile versions were anticipated to fire from HIMARS launchers and have a range of up to 1,000 km. According to the defense department, 42 HIMARS launchers have been ordered by Australia from the US. The launchers are slated to be put into service in 2026–27.
A statement from the United States Army stated that during a Pacific exercise in June, the service effectively attacked a moving target at sea using two Precision Strike Missiles.
Near Australia’s largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne, one of the most powerful cruisers, a frigate, and a replenishment ship were deployed by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) late last month, shocking the country’s security agencies. The Chinese flotilla conducted what seemed like a live-fire drill in the Tasman Sea on February 21 without informing the relevant authorities in Canberra or Wellington, causing 49 planes to be diverted and disrupting air travel between the two countries.
Retired Australian army Major General Mick Ryan said the new missiles would provide the Australian army a powerful strike capability and discourage would-be enemies.
According to Ryan, a HIMARS launcher equipped with a maritime strike missile might potentially target one of those ships.
One component of Canberra’s strategy to prepare for a more aggressive Chinese military presence in the waters surrounding Australia is the procurement of new missiles for the Australian army. According to military analysts who spoke with Reuters, these assets may potentially assist allies in protecting strategically significant islands in the Asia-Pacific area in the case of a conflict.
Australia’s air force and navy are also planning to acquire new long-range missiles.
Official speeches and defense planning documents indicate that Canberra will invest up to $47 billion over a decade in targeting technology, long-range strike capacity, missile defense, and explosives and missile manufacturing in response to what senior Australian officials call the “greatest strategic uncertainty” since World War Two.
When faced with the Chinese threat, Canberra isn’t the only country relying on these long-range strike weapons. Along with the United States, the majority of its essential Asian allies, such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines, are likewise enhancing and increasing their missile deployments. New missiles are being launched, hypersonic weapons and other cutting-edge technology are being studied rapidly, existing projectiles are being repurposed, and production lines are being expanded.
When asked about China’s stance on missile arsenal boosts by other countries, a representative from the foreign ministry stated that Beijing was following “a defensive national defense policy” and that China should not be used to “incite arms races” or “exaggerate tensions.”
As the Trump administration’s dedication to traditional security ties becomes more uncertain, the search for new missiles may become more pressing for American regional allies, according to Ross Babbage, a former defense official in Australia and current senior non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington.
A Pentagon spokeswoman told Reuters that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had stated that discouraging China was an essential goal for the military. According to Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot, “establishing and maintaining a robust network of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific” is one approach to this goal. We are fully dedicated to ensuring the safety and stability of the region.
The Trump administration is openly frustrated with nations it believes should be paying more for military equipment, which puts allies like Australia, which has modest defense expenditures, under further strain.
Eldridge Colby, who US President Donald Trump nominated to the position of Under SecUSry of Defense for Policy, stated during his confirmation hearing before the Senate earlier this month that NATO leadership had proposed a goal of 3% of GDP for member states’ defense spending and that Australia’s spending fell far short of that. According to him, China posed a considerably more formidable threat to Canberra.
Defence expenditures in Australia are now at 2% of GDP. Those who are against the Australian government’s expenditures on defense point to the passage of new missiles and other pressing military initiatives as examples of how previous administrations have let them dally.
Babbage remarked, “This deserves a high degree of priority” when discussing the production and deployment of aircraft. “We should be giving this a serious boost.”
According to Babbage, Allied troops would require extensive missile stores and the ability to manufacture additional missiles in the event of a lengthy confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to Canberra’s security officials, Chinese warships will start visiting the Australian coast more frequently and in larger numbers. These drills, similar to those of the fleet that trained off the Australian coast, would test the political will of the Australian government and the military’s capacity for surveillance.
While recognizing that the Chinese fleet had conformed with international law, Andrew Shearer, Australia’s Director General of National Intelligence, told a parliamentary hearing on February 24 that some operations appeared “designed to be provocative.”
According to Shearer, China has the capability to project military power into Australia’s region and intends to do so more regularly, following the largest and least transparent military buildup since the Second World War.
A representative from China’s foreign ministry said that the country had “repeatedly briefed” regarding submarine drills. According to the representative, this exercise is “completely consistent with international law and international practices. ”
Similar to previous military planners in Beijing, Canberra has embraced missiles. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started building a vast missile force decades ago when it was a ground force with outdated weaponry. It needed a quick and cheap solution to catch up to the United States and its allies.
Despite their relative cheapness, missiles threaten military bases and strike aircraft, battleships, and logistical hubs, which are among the high-value targets they target. Because of this, these weapons are a good fit for forces that aren’t as formidable when facing off against stronger enemies.
Rival regional powers are now imitating China’s strategy, which has allowed China to challenge the United States military might in Asia. The deployment of longer-range missiles that match or surpass the reach of the PLA arsenal is a fundamental objective of this allied reaction.
Two additional army regiments will be responsible for marine defense. In December, Canberra revealed that it would select between the Naval Strike Missile—created by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace—or Lockheed’s Precision Strike Missile. The naval strike missile, launched from a ground-based system, is already in use by U.S. Marines in the Indo-Pacific region.
Forty command and control vehicles for the new missile regiments were to be supplied by Thales Australia under a contract worth over 63 million Australian dollars (AUD) that the government revealed in early January.
The army’s missile regiments will receive modern radars to help them detect potential dangers. Last month, Canberra purchased up to fourteen multi-mission phased-array radars from CEA Technologies, also based in Canberra, in a deal valued at AUD$272 million.
These land-based mobile missile weapons can be dispersed and hidden with relative ease, yet they still have the destructive power of more costly warships and strike planes.
“It’s a truck,” Ryan remarked. Park it under a tree, then go out to shoot it, and then go back. They will never locate you.
