Australia to buy US-made HIMARS in boost to defense systems

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia announced Thursday it will boost its defense capabilities by spending more than AU$1 billion (U.S. $683 million) on new advanced missile and rocket systems, including American-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, already successfully used by Ukraine’s military .

In Ukraine, the mobile, truck-mounted HIMARS proved crucial in enabling Ukrainian forces to hit key targets, including a recent strike on a single building that killed at least 89 Russian soldiers.

The Australian government said its HIMARS would include launchers, missiles and training rockets, and that they would enter service by 2026. It said the system had a current range of 300 kilometers (186 miles), which was expected to increase with technological advances.

The government said it had also signed a contract with Norway-based Kongsberg to buy Naval Strike Missiles for naval destroyers and frigates, which would replace aging Harpoon anti-ship missiles from next year.

Citing confidentiality for security and operational reasons, the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, did not give a cost breakdown of the two systems or say how many of each it was buying.

But last year the U.S. State Department approved a potential foreign military sale, saying Australia had requested to buy 20 Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS and related equipment at an estimated cost of $385 million.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” the U.S. Defense Department wrote at the time. “Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region.”

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said it was important the military was equipped with high-end capabilities as it sought to deter potential threats to national security.

“The Albanese Government is taking a proactive approach to keeping Australia safe — and the Naval Strike Missile and HIMARS launchers will give our Defence Force the ability to deter conflict and protect our interests,” Marles said in a statement.

Australia and the U.S. in recent years have become increasingly concerned about China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific. Those concerns were heightened after China signed a security pact last year with the Solomon Islands, prompting the U.S. to push ahead with plans to reopen an embassy in the capital, Honiara.

澳大利亚堪培拉——澳大利亚周四宣布，将斥资超过10亿澳元（6.83亿美元）购买新的先进导弹和火箭系统，以增强其国防能力，其中包括美国制造的高机动性火箭炮系统，该系统已被乌克兰军队成功使用。

在乌克兰，机动式车载HIMARS导弹系统在帮助乌克兰军队打击关键目标方面发挥了至关重要的作用，包括最近一次对一栋建筑物的袭击，造成至少89名俄罗斯士兵死亡。

澳大利亚政府表示，其HIMARS系统将包括发射器、导弹和训练火箭，并将于2026年投入使用。政府称，该系统目前的射程为300公里（186英里），预计随着技术的进步，射程将会增加。

政府表示，已与总部位于挪威的康斯伯格公司签署合同，为海军驱逐舰和护卫舰购买海军打击导弹，这些导弹将从明年起取代老旧的鱼叉反舰导弹。

出于安全和运营方面的保密原因，由总理安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯领导的澳大利亚政府没有提供这两个系统的成本明细，也没有说明购买了多少套系统。

但去年，美国国务院批准了一项潜在的对外军售，称澳大利亚已提出购买 20 套洛克希德·马丁公司制造的 HIMARS 系统及相关设备，预计耗资 3.85 亿美元。

美国国防部当时写道：“这项拟议的军售将支持美国的外交政策和国家安全目标。澳大利亚是我们西太平洋地区最重要的盟友之一。这个政治和经济强国的战略位置对确保该地区的和平与经济稳定具有重要意义。”

澳大利亚国防部长理查德·马尔斯表示，军队配备高端能力至关重要，因为军队需要遏制对国家安全的潜在威胁。

“阿尔巴尼亚政府正采取积极主动的方式来保障澳大利亚的安全——海军打击导弹和HIMARS发射器将使我们的国防军有能力威慑冲突并保护我们的利益，”马尔斯在一份声明中说。

近年来，澳大利亚和美国越来越关注中国在太平洋地区日益增强的自信姿态。去年中国与所罗门群岛签署安全协议后，这种担忧进一步加剧，促使美国加快推进在首都霍尼亚拉重开大使馆的计划。