Australia massively unprepared for China war, as superpower amasses hi-tech, long-range missiles

Australia has been accused of “napping at the wheel” while China has amassed a devastating arsenal of hi-tech, long-range weapons.

A blistering report has accused Australia of “napping at the wheel” while China has amassed a devastating arsenal of hi-tech, long-range missiles that can take out fleets as far from the Chinese mainland as West Papua.

It comes as the government today issued a chilling warning that there is the potential for conflict with China within the “next couple of years” as it revealed new plans to speed up the delivery of Australia’s new long-range weapons.

However, there are fears it could be too little, too late.

A report released today by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) states that China has already developed a wide range of lethal cruise missiles that would present a catalogue of problems to Australian and Allied naval forces.

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China has invested heavily in long-range weapons. Picture: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

China’s powerful new weapons

Dr Sam Goldsmith, who authored the report, said these weapons, in some cases, can travel at hypersonic speeds before taking out their targets.

“Typically, advanced anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) have long ranges and advanced guidance systems and in some cases might incorporate stealthy design features, decoys and countermeasures to assist the missile in successfully penetrating sophisticated air defence systems,” he said.

Dr Goldsmith said that ever since the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, the People’s Republic of China had heavily invested in its multibranched armed forces – the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

“For over two decades, the PLA has consistently acquired, developed and surreptitiously obtained new technologies and capabilities, including a prodigious array of increasingly sophisticated ASCMs, such as the supersonic sea-skimming YJ-12 ASCM, which has a range around 400–537km,” he said.

“The PLA has also invested in capabilities to sustain ASCM maritime strike operations even under high-intensity battle conditions against a technologically advanced power such as the US.”

Dr Goldsmith said these weapons would provide four major challenges to Australian and Allied naval forces.

They could be difficult to detect and counter. They could “saturate anti-air defences”, sink ships or leave ships with severely depleted missile magazines.

Finally, they could be picked up by terrorist groups like Hezbollah who have previously accessed the devastating technology.

There are concerns about security in the Indo-Pacific. Picture: Australian Defence Force/AFP

Australia ‘napping at the wheel’

Dr Goldsmith said the Royal Australian Navy’s current fleet was unlikely to be able to deal with the threat posed by the new weapons today, let alone what they could do in the 2030s and 2040s.

“An even greater concern is that the ADF doesn’t possess the very long-range strike capability that would be needed to make any substantial contribution in a high-intensity regional war against a technologically advanced and sophisticated adversary,” he said.

He said Australia has been caught “napping at the wheel”.

“Ten years ago was the time for change, but now wholesale changes are well overdue,” Dr Goldstein said. “Decades of unchallenged US strategic primacy have arguably shielded Australia from the consequences of complacency and chronic under-investment in Australia’s national defence.”

ASPI, which is funded by the Department of Defence, foreign governments and military contractors, has faced accusations in the past of fomenting anti-China hysteria, to the alleged benefit of its benefactors.

However, the government does appear to taking some steps to address the threats outlined in the report.

Government fast tracks long-range weapons

This week, it has been revealed that Australian fighter jets and navy vessels will be armed with new long-range strike missiles years ahead of schedule under a new $3.5 billion fast-tracked package.

Speaking on the Today show this morning, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said that Australia hadn’t, in fact, been “caught napping” when it came to defence preparations – rather the government had been “flat out” in its response.

“The world has really been shocked by what we’ve seen in Europe – nobody was predicting that even two or five years ago – and we’re also very worried about what’s happening in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

“China is on a course in relation to Taiwan. They’re amassing nuclear weapons. We want to make sure our country has the capability to deter any active aggression against our country.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

“It’s (a) very serious and real situation and we need to be real about what’s happening over the next few years or the next decade.”

Mr Dutton said there were now 20 points of military presence in the South China Sea and that the People’s Liberation Army was amassing a “huge number of ships” in the region.

“This is not something we’re talking about in the 2040s,” he said. “There’s a potential for conflict in the next couple of years.”

Under the new defence capabilities announced by the government, it says ships and jets will be equipped with missiles that will be able to strike targets up to 900km away.

The government says the missiles for the jets will arrive three years ahead of schedule and missiles for the navy five years ahead of schedule. Hi-tech sea mines will also arrive three years earlier under the package.

Speaking to Channel 7 this morning the Defence Minister also flagged nuclear-powered submarines arriving in Australia much sooner than expected, with the first boat anticipated to be in the water at the end of the 2030s.