Create a free starter account, or log in.

Get access to four free articles per month, as well as our Decisive Edge Newsletters and Daily News Bulletin.

Email Address

Password

Forgot your password? Reset by clicking here

Create a Password

[[ req.met ? '✓' : '•' ]] [[ req.text ]]

Re-enter Password

Passwords do not match

First Name

Last Name

Country

Confirm your account

Please enter the four-digit pin below that has been emailed to you.

Didn't receive the pin yet?

This pin expires in 20 minutes.

[[ error ]]

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Stay informed with Shephard's award-winning journalism. Unlock unlimited access and in-depth analysis with a corporate or individual subscription.

Explore your options here

Australia to arm warships with ‘sharper’ weapons

26th January 2021 - 06:18 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

RSS

Australia will add much more capable missiles to its warships, in response to the growing threat posed by more belligerent state actors such as China and, to a lesser extent, North Korea.

Surface combatants and submarines of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will be potently sharpened with a range of new weaponry such as long-range anti-ship missiles, as Canberra seriously considers the regional threat environment.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds announced on 25 January that A$1 billion ($770 million) will be spent on ‘leading-edge long-range anti-ship missiles [AShM], extended-range surface-to-air missiles [SAM], advanced lightweight torpedoes and maritime land strike capabilities’.

Reynolds stated that the new AShMs and SAMs would reach a range in excess of 370km, while land attack cruise missiles (LACM) would have a 1,500km range ‘to project and maintain sea control’.

Already have an account? Log in