Missiles an equaliser in wartime

Ukraine’s response to the Russian invasion has demonstrated an important military lesson: missiles are a great leveller against larger powers in wartime. After years of Australia falling badly short in missile capabilities, the government’s move to arm fighter jets with long-range strike missiles three years earlier than scheduled under a $3.5bn military upgrade is an important step in the right direction. Defence Minister Peter Dutton has announced that by 2024, Australia’s Super Hornets, and in future the F-35A Lightning II, will be armed with JASSM-ER missiles capable of engaging targets at a range of up to 900km.

From the same year, Hobart-class destroyers and Anzac frigates will be equipped with new, Norwegian-made Naval Strike Missiles. The missiles will equip aircraft and naval vessels to better protect Australia’s maritime approaches. In an important pre-election pitch, Spanish shipbuilding giant Navantia has offered to build the Australian Defence Force three more of its Hobart-class air warfare destroyers within a decade for $2bn each, which would fill a capability gap by doubling the number of guided-missile platforms Australia could put to sea.

In a move that will strengthen supply chains, US defence giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will work with three local partners – the Australian Missile Corporation, the Sovereign Missile Alliance and Aurecon Advisory – to “rapidly increase” Australia’s ability to maintain and make guided weapons. It was announced two years ago that Australia would produce missiles. Settling on our industry partners should not have taken this long. But it is a vital step. As Mr Dutton says, Australia’s strategic environment is becoming more complex and challenging with the Indo-Pacific at the epicentre of global strategic competition.

The significant progress on missile development and deployment comes as AUKUS partners Australia, the US and Britain have agreed to fast-track development of hypersonic missiles and counter-hypersonic capabilities. Hypersonic missiles can deliver conventional or nuclear payloads at speeds of Mach 5 and above. China and Russia have pushed ahead with the technology. Russian President Vladimir Putin has boasted of using hypersonic missiles against military targets in Ukraine. In a statement, Scott Morrison, Joe Biden and Boris Johnson reaffirmed their commitments to AUKUS, declaring, in light of the Ukraine conflict, “our unwavering commitment to an international system that respects human rights, the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion”.

AUKUS, under which Australia will access nuclear-powered submarine technology, is the nation’s most significant defence agreement since the ANZUS Treaty 70 years ago, as the Prime Minister said on Tuesday. It is also a key reason for maintaining a strong economy.