Australia secures US missiles amid supply concerns
The missile sale to Pacific ally Australia comes as US lawmakers have raised concerns over the depletion of missile stockpiles because of the war in Iran.
Australia has announced it will buy up to 450 long-range missiles from the United States for its fighter jets, as part of a $736 million (US$518 million) deal. Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed this purchase, marking Australia as the first country outside the US to use the new air-to-air missile, the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
These missiles will be installed on all of Australia's fighter planes, including Super Hornets, Growlers, and F-35s, and will soon be operational on those platforms. Marles stated that the missiles will be stationed on Australia's fighter jets, which are strategically located in the western Pacific, significantly contributing to regional stability.
This move comes amid growing concerns over US missile stockpiles being depleted due to the Iran conflict. US lawmakers have raised alarm over the dwindling missile supplies, as US Congress approved a sale of a similar missile package to Australia in March, which included test services costing $3.16 billion. The US Defense Department had notified Congress that Australia requested 450 missiles as part of this package.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank recently reported that the US stock of key Patriot and THAAD air defense missiles had been significantly reduced due to the Iran war, creating a risk to US readiness in a potential war against China in the western Pacific.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
