Australia becomes third country to fire Tomahawk cruise missile in major escalation of defence capabilities

Australia has marked a major milestone in the military’s escalating long-range defence capabilities, becoming only the third country in the world to fire a Tomahawk cruise missile in a major step-up in its regional posturing.

In a show of “enhanced lethality”, Hobart class destroyer HMAS Brisbane successfully fired a missile — capable of destroying critical infrastructure with an extended range of up to 2500km — during a test off the west coast of the United States.

The Government announced last year that it would spend $1.3bn to acquire more than 200 Tomahawk missiles from the US, which would be deployed on the destroyers, the future Virginia class submarine fleet, and potentially the Hunter class frigates, to counter an increasingly assertive China.

Australia joins its AUKUS partners the US and the United Kingdom as the only countries with the ability to acquire and fire the missiles, which will give the navy a significantly enhanced ability to deter potential threats.

Following a suite of missile-related announcements in recent months, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Tomahawk test marked a crucial turning point in enhancing the navy’s lethality.

“The enhanced lethality of Navy’s surface combatant fleet is vital to ensuring the ADF is equipped to meet our strategic circumstances and keep Australians safe,” he said.

“The successful test firing of the Tomahawk missile demonstrates the strength of our alliance and defence cooperation with the United States, in support of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

“By enhancing our own Defence capabilities, and by working with partners, we change the calculus for any potential aggressor so that no state will ever conclude the benefits of conflict outweigh the risks.”

The Labor Government has followed the former Coalition’s Government lead in ramping up navy capabilities to deter an increasingly assertive China.

In addition to the Tomahawk, the Naval Strike Missile and Standard Missiles 6 - which were fired earlier this year - will provide the navy with “the most sophisticated and cutting edge” strike and defence capability in history.

Defence Industry Minister Pay Conroy said the Tomahawk was the “jewel in the crown and a step change in our firepower, deterrence and ability to strike land-based targets at ranges never before available” to the Navy.

“This is about keeping Australians safe. But in conjunction with our other investments in long-range strike, as well as the decision to manufacture NSM in Australia, it’s also about delivering more jobs and a safer future made in Australia. Thank you to our Industry partners for your part in helping Defence to acquire these capabilities,” he said.