An Australian warship fired a Tomahawk cruise missile in a test, making the country, an ally of the United States, the third nation in the world to operate the long-range weapon.
HMAS Brisbane, one of three Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class destroyers, successfully launched a Tomahawk cruise missile, which is capable of striking land targets "precisely" from 1,000 miles away, during a test and evaluation activity held off the U.S. West Coast.
Photos provided by the Australian military showed the Brisbane fired the missile off the coast of San Diego in California, with the missile impacting its target, causing an explosion.
This marked a milestone for Australia, becoming one of three nations, alongside the U.S. and the United Kingdom, to acquire and fire the U.S.-made missile. The Tomahawk is being introduced several years ahead of schedule, the Australian military said on Tuesday.
Australia is one of America's security treaty allies, with Washington viewing Canberra as a vital ally, partner, and friend. In 2021, they formed a security partnership with the U.K. known as AUKUS, which will provide Australia a nuclear-powered submarine capability.
According to the Australian military, it will acquire over 200 Tomahawk missiles. Besides arming its Hobart-class destroyers, the missiles will be equipped on the future Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines when they are delivered by the U.S. under AUKUS.
The U.S. military, which has viewed China as the pacing challenge and the Indo-Pacific as the priority theater, continued to enhance the military capabilities of its allies in the region.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Apart from Australia, Japan, another security treaty ally of the U.S. in the region, will get around 400 Tomahawk missiles to strengthen its stand-off defense capabilities, aiming to disrupt and defeat invading forces against the country "early and from far away."
The Tomahawk's versions included the Block IV, which can change targets and course in flight and loiter for hours, as well as the Block V, which is the modernized Block IV with upgraded navigation and communication, according to its manufacturer Raytheon.
Last year, the U.S. State Department approved a possible sale of up to 200 Block V and 20 Block IV Tomahawk missiles to Australia for an estimated cost of $895 million, enhancing its deterrence against regional threats and strengthening its homeland defense.
The acquisition of the Tomahawk is part of the plan to boost the Australian naval lethality, which included the introduction of the anti-ship Naval Strike Missile, as well as the Standard Missile 6 for anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and ballistic missile defense.
Besides the Tomahawk, the Australian navy conducted firings of the Naval Strike Missile and the Standard Missile 6 earlier this year. The long-range Tomahawk can enhance its ability to deter potential threats and keep Australians safe, the country's military added.
"By enhancing our own defense 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," said the Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.
Pat Conroy, the Australian minister for Defense Industry and Capability, described the Tomahawk as the jewel in the crown and a game-changer for the nation's armed forces, providing the ability to strike land targets at ranges never before available to the navy.
English (US) ·