The first batch of missiles to be made in Australia as part of the Albanese government’s flagship weapons build-up will be assembled largely from overseas parts instead of relying on locally produced components, sparking warnings from the defence industry against permanently adopting an “IKEA” approach.

In his first speech as the government’s “missiles tsar”, Air Marshal Leon Phillips said local production of missiles would begin in 2025 after a $2.5 billion injection following the Defence Strategic Review (DSR).