Overview
- The Australian government announced on Aug. 6 that it will invest almost A$736 million to buy up to 450 AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles for the Royal Australian Air Force.
- Defence Minister Richard Marles said the missiles will be first fitted to F/A-18F Super Hornets and later integrated on F-35A Lightning II jets and EA-18G Growlers.
- The announced A$736 million figure is smaller than a March US foreign military sales notification that estimated the full package, including test articles and services, at about US$3.16 billion and officials did not provide delivery dates or explain the price gap.
- Canberra also revealed a successful flight test of a domestically developed solid rocket motor and is funding up to A$36 billion over the next decade to build sovereign guided-weapons manufacturing capacity.
- Australian officials cite worries about allied munitions availability after recent US stock drawdowns for conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and say the purchase and local industry investment aim to boost regional deterrence and reduce reliance on foreign supplies.