Australia prepares to buy 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles after US State Department approves sale
Australia to buy 220 tomahawk missiles from the United States, just days after the submarine deal was announced
The US State Department has approved the possible sale of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Australia in a deal valued at up to $895 million.
The package would include up to 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles and technical support.
The sale has been approved by the US State Department, but must be approved by Congress before it can officially go ahead.
Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Australia was looking to increase its missile capacity.
“It’s a really big part of what we need to do with our stance, which is to have more projection ability,” Marles told the Today Show.
“That’s the core of what we’re doing with submarines, of course, but making sure we have longer-range attack missiles is a really important capability for the country.
“It allows us to reach beyond our shores and ultimately that is how we can keep Australia safe.”
more to come