Australia Secures $250M Deal For Tomahawk Cruise Missiles From US

The US State Department has reportedly approved a highly potential foreign military sale of weapon system support for the Australian Tomahawk cruise missiles. Valued at about $250 million, the possible sale covers the provision of logistics support management, general weapons support services, and material support.

The US will be carrying out the management of technical data, associated engineering services, and related program support. Per a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement, the support services will permit Canberra to utilize Tomahawk missiles efficiently against evolving threats. They will also ensure that the weapon is thoroughly evaluated to identify better and hit its targets more precisely.

The United States’ provision of the Tomahawk weapon systems to Australia will boost Canberra’s defensive capabilities and bolster communication between the two nations. In the eyes of Washington, Australia is one of its strongest allies, and supporting its foreign ally in building and sustaining a potent and ready self-defence capability is essential to the US national interest.

Based on the announcement, this political and economic power’s favourable location dramatically helps to maintain peace and financial stability in the Western Pacific. Washington clarified that support services won’t negatively affect its defence readiness once finalized.

The Tomahawk is an advanced precision strike weapon that Raytheon developed and can be fired from ships or submarines. Even in any heavily defended airspace, it has been reported to be able to attack targets that are up to 1,000 miles away. Its Block IV model can unexpectedly change direction and hover for hours before striking directly. With their sophisticated data link, two Tomahawk missiles may alter targets in mid-flight. Australia signed an $830 million contract in August 2023 to purchase over 200 US Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Reference: TheDefensePost

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Source: Maritime Shipping News