$19billion for long-range strike under Defence Strategic Review

The government is committing $4.1 billion to acquire more long-range strike systems and manufacture longer-range munitions in Australia, as prioritised in the Defence Strategic Review.

FILE PHOTO: United States Marine Corps and United States Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems perform a live firing drill during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019. Photo by Leading Seaman Craig Walton.

A key recommendation of the Defence Strategic Review was the need to accelerate and expand weapons systems, including land-based maritime strike and long-range missile launchers, complemented by investments to replenish our guided weapons and explosive ordnance (GWEO) stocks and to establish sovereign missile and munitions manufacturing in Australia.

ANNOUNCED INVESTMENTS:

$1.6b for Long Range Strike Capabilities –

This investment will grow the ADF’s ability to accurately strike targets at longer range and expand our acquisition of long-range missile systems, including:

• accelerating the delivery of additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated battle management and support systems; and,

• accelerating the acquisition of precision-strike missiles to deliver multi-domain strike effects.

 

$2.5b for Guided Weapons & Explosive Ordnance Enterprise –

Investment in the GWEO Enterprise will fund:

• manufacturing guided weapons and their critical components to improve our self-reliance, with plans presented for government consideration by mid-2024 to:

  • manufacture selected long-range strike missiles and increase local maintenance of air defence missiles; and
  • manufacture other types of munitions, including 155mm artillery ammunition and sea mines.

• critical enablers needed to underpin an expanded GWEO Enterprise, including increasing our testing and research capabilities and rapidly expanding our storage and distribution network to accommodate a growing GWEO inventory; and

• acquiring more stocks of guided weapons, supplementing other Defence weapons acquisitions programs.

Minister for Defence Richard Marles said this announcement was part of the Albanese Government’s $19 billion commitment over the forward estimates to achieving the priorities as set out in the government’s response to the Defence Strategic Review, and will see more than double the investment for GWEO than what was previously provisioned.

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