Australia is continuing its purchase of U.S.-made weaponry, taking delivery of two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launcher vehicles and placing an order for $200 million ($125 million) worth of MK-48 heavy torpedos, destined for use on its AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines.
The HIMARS, the first of 42 ordered for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), offer long‑range precision strike capability at ranges of more than 500 kilometres (310 miles).
They will be based at the recently established 10th Fires Brigade in Adelaide.
The government says the accelerated delivery of vehicles will also support the Australian defence industry and create new jobs sooner, with plans for a facility to locally manufacture HIMARS-compatible and other guided missiles.
“This delivers on our commitment to accelerate the acquisition of HIMARS, which are now on track to be fully operational four years ahead of the schedule of the former Morrison-Dutton Government,” said Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
“HIMARS is a world-leading capability, delivering accurate firepower at long ranges, resulting in a more than ten-fold increase in the Army’s striking range.
“Equally crucial will be the munitions and support systems that sit behind HIMARS—and that’s why we’re manufacturing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles in Australia this year, to reinforce robust domestic supply chains that we control and [to] create local jobs,” he said.
Conroy also announced that Australia is buying $200 million worth of MK-48 heavy torpedos, which he said will initially “deliver a critical boost” to the country’s Collins-class submarines but will also be fitted on the future AUKUS Virginia-class submarines.
“This acquisition is a testament to Australia’s strong, long-standing alliance with the United States.”
The MK-48 is the product of a joint program between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the United States Navy (USN) and can be used and serviced by both.
They are mainly manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) and were designed for both anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
They are procured as sections that are then assembled and tested at the Torpedo Maintenance Facility in Western Australia.
The interoperability between the two navies will mean a torpedo maintained by the RAN and stored at HMAS Stirling in Perth could be loaded into a USN submarine that is part of Submarine Rotation Force-West (SRF-W).
That Force, part of the plan to eventually create a fleet of Australian nuclear-powered boats, is set to begin operating in 2027.
It will mean U.S. Virginia-class boats and British Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarines will rotate in and out of HMAS Stirling as they patrol the Indo-Pacific.
“This boost to our stocks of MK-48 Heavy Weight Torpedoes also demonstrates the government’s commitment to deliver on priorities in the 2024 National Defence Strategy that contribute to the strategy of denial,” Conroy said.
