Australian warship test-fires Tomahawk missile off U.S. coast:

An Australian warship has test-fired a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, officers stated Tuesday, hailing a “main milestone” within the nation’s decade-long plan to beef up its fleet within the face of an Asia-Pacific arms race.

HMAS Brisbane fired the Tomahawk on December 3 off the West Coast of the US, Australia’s authorities stated in a statement, making it considered one of solely three international locations alongside the US and Britain to amass and fireplace the missile.

“The Royal Australian Navy has achieved a serious milestone in realising an enhanced and deadly floor combatant fleet,” it stated.

With an prolonged vary of as much as 1,550 miles, the Tomahawk permits maritime platforms to carry out long-range precision strikes towards land targets. The missile “considerably” enhances the Australian army’s capability to discourage towards any potential risk, it stated.

The navy launched a video of HMAS Brisbane test-firing a number of missiles, together with the Tomahawk.

Protection Minister Richard Marles stated enhancing Australia’s protection capabilities and dealing with companions would “change the calculus for any potential aggressor.”

The test-firing is according to Australia’s plan, introduced earlier this yr, to spend $7 billion to develop the navy to 26 main floor combatant ships — up from 11 as we speak.

Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for protection business and functionality supply, referred to as the test-firing a “game-changer.”

“The Tomahawk is the jewel within the crown and a step change in our firepower, deterrence and skill to strike land-based targets at ranges by no means earlier than out there to the Royal Australian Navy,” Conroy stated.

Australia plans to purchase greater than 200 Tomahawk missiles to arm a few of its warships.

The naval growth plan comes as China and different powers within the Asia-Pacific and past construct up their firepower.

Final yr, President Biden formally introduced that Australia would buy nuclear-powered assault submarines from the U.S. A partnership between the U.S., U.Okay. and Australia, introduced in 2021, enabled Australia to entry nuclear-powered submarines, that are stealthier and extra succesful than conventionally powered vessels, as a counterweight to China’s army buildup.

Whereas the Virginia-class submarines will probably be nuclear-powered, they won’t be armed with atomic weapons and are as a substitute anticipated to hold long-range cruise missiles.