Australia says it will build its own guided missiles as unease about China grows

[Boats]

Australia says it will build its own guided missiles as unease about China grows
By: Nick Perry - Business Insider News & Associated Press - 03-31-21 (1-hr ago)
RE: https://www.businessinsider.com/aust...t-china-2021-3

Photo link: https://i.insider.com/6064827d6183e1...jpeg&auto=webp
Armaments Technician Corporal Andrew Saunders prepares munitions for Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during Exercise Lightning Spear, October 10, 2020. Royal Australian Air Force

* Australia plans to work closely with the US to build its own guided missiles to boost its defense capabilities.

* The decision comes amid growing unease around the Pacific about China's increasing assertiveness and military abilities.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia announced Wednesday it would begin building its own guided missiles in close collaboration with the US as it seeks to boost its defense capabilities.

The news comes amid growing unease in the Pacific region about China's increasing assertiveness and military abilities.

Citing the "changing global environment," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it would partner with a weapons manufacturer to build the missiles in a plan that would create thousands of jobs as well as export opportunities.

Morrison said it would initially spend 1 billion Australian dollars ($761 million) on the plan as part of a huge 10-year investment in defense and the defense industry.

"Creating our own sovereign capability on Australian soil is essential to keep Australians safe," Morrison said.

It has been decades since Australia last manufactured advanced missiles, and it currently relies on importing them from allies including the US. Australia does currently build a decoy rocket aimed at disrupting incoming missiles.

Michael Shoebridge, the director of defense, strategy and national security at the independent think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the announcement was welcome news and filled a strategic gap.

He said China's increasing aggression was a big concern for Australia, as was the vulnerability of global supply chains that had been exposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said Australia's most pressing need was for long-range anti-ship missiles that could be fired from warships or aircraft. He said that new army fighting vehicles also needed missile capabilities.

2nd photo link: https://i.insider.com/6064826e6183e1...jpeg&auto=webp
An SM-2 standard missile is launched from HMAS Hobart missile firing off the coast of Hawaii during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2020, August 24, 2020. LSIS Ernesto Sanchez/Royal Australian Navy

Shoebridge said it would make sense for Australia to build a new generation of hypersonic missiles in collaboration with the US. He said potential commercial partners included large US weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, although other manufacturers might be involved in developing specific systems, for instance propulsion.

Australia is part of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance, along with the US, Canada, Britain and New Zealand.

"We will work closely with the United States on this important initiative to ensure that we understand how our enterprise can best support both Australia's needs and the growing needs of our most important military partner," Defense Minister Peter Dutton said.

He said building weapons in Australia would not only enhance its capabilities but would also ensure the nation had sufficient supply for combat operations if there was any disruption to global supply chains.

Before the announcement, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute had estimated that Australia would need to spend AU$100 billion over the next 20 years on buying missiles and guided weapons.

Shoebridge said the home-built missiles would help provide a military deterrent during the current decade while Australia waited for a series of new frigates and attack-class submarines to be built.

He said that in the event of a conflict, Australia would need a lot of missiles quickly and couldn't rely on importing them on time. He said such a scenario was possible, for instance if Beijing decided the time was right to take control of Taiwan by force.

He said the announcement also fitted with the US strategy of dispersing its forces and capabilities so it wasn't vulnerable in any key locations.

"It's being driven by the two Cs, China and COVID," Shoebridge said.

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Personal note: Insecurity is an important factor now reaching all the way to Australia.
Reverse engineering and then making your own weapons seems to be a common practice all
around the world today. Nothing much is secret it seems anymore.
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C.Y.A. is the name of the game today (aka: Cover Your Ass). Defense and Offense have a lot in common -
they both kill a lot of people. Insecurity has become a norm all across the globe!
Better to be safe than sorry - is the word today.
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What a world we have today! But just think about - What a world we will have - 50 years from now!?
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We are but one world that humans can live on today - that we know of. It may be that 100 to 500 years
from now - it may still be the same thing - but will it be? That's the question!
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Boats