Peter Dutton turns to unmanned subs and new missiles to counter China’s expansion in the Pacific

Australia will counter China’s expansion in the Pacific with cutting-edge unmanned submarines and upgraded missiles.

Australia will develop cutting-edge unmanned submarines and purchase upgraded missiles to boost the “agility and potency” of the Navy’s warfighting capability as it maintains peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton will on Thursday announce a $2 billion investment to acquire more advanced missiles and unveil the government’s plan to pursue a new autonomous robotic undersea warfare capability.

Last month Mr Dutton warned the best way for Australia to preserve peace in an uncertain security environment was to “prepare for war”.

News Corp can reveal the Australian Defence Force and Anduril Australia will co-fund a program to design, develop and manufacture Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (XLAUV) in Australia for capability assessment and prototyping.

Under what Mr Dutton described as an “ambitious” build schedule, the government plans to produce three protoype large vessels over the next three years, resulting in a “manufacturing-ready” option.

“The vessels would also give the Australian Defence Force innovative mission options, while presenting a disruptive and difficult undersea problem for any adversary,” he said.

The US and UK are already well-advanced in their pursuit of similar un-crewed vessels, which Australia could use to bridge a capability gap until its nuclear-powered submarine fleet is built in the coming decades.

Australia will purchase Extra Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (XLAUVs) with a stealthy, multi-role, undersea capability and the capacity to carry various military payloads over long distances.

The recent security pact signed between Beijing and the Solomon Islands has pushed national security to the fore of the federal election, amid fears China’s expansion in the Pacific poses a significant risk to Australian interests.

Typically between 10 and 30 metres long, the XLAUVs are stealthy and have the capacity to carry various military payloads over long distances.

“This capability would potentially complement and enhance the agility and potency of the

Navy’s current submarine and surface combatant force in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Mr Dutton said.

In a decision taken before the government entered caretaker mode for the election, the Coalition announced it was also investing more than $2bn to purchase Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said new missiles would be a “key pillar” in “shaping, deterring and if necessary, responding to protect Australia’s interests in a strategically complex environment”. Picture: Lachie Millard

Mr Dutton said these missiles would be a “key pillar” in “shaping, deterring and if necessary, responding to protect Australia’s interests in a strategically complex environment”.

The ESSM Block 2 is highly advanced and capable of defeating modern air and missile threats.

They have an advanced active radar missile seeker and a range in excess of 50km.

Mr Dutton said the first tranche of these weapons had already arrived in Australia for initial integration and testing purposes.

There will be production and supporting roles related to the missile program based in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Newcastle.

The ESSM Block 2 will be added to the Navy’s Surface Combatant Force, including the Anzac Class frigates and Hobart Class destroyers.

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Originally published as Peter Dutton turns to unmanned subs and new missiles to counter China’s expansion in the Pacific