Australian warship test-fires Tomahawk missile off U.S. coast: “Major milestone”

An Australian warship has test-fired a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile, officials said Tuesday, hailing a “major milestone” in the country’s decade-long plan to beef up its fleet in the face of an Asia-Pacific arms race.

HMAS Brisbane fired the Tomahawk on December 3 off the West Coast of the United States, Australia’s government said in a statement, making it one of only three countries alongside the US and Britain to acquire and fire the missile.

“The Royal Australian Navy has achieved a major milestone in realising an enhanced and lethal surface combatant fleet,” it said.

With an extended range of up to 1,550 miles, the Tomahawk allows maritime platforms to perform long-range precision strikes against land targets. The missile “significantly” enhances the Australian military’s ability to deter against any potential threat, it said.

The navy released a video of HMAS Brisbane test-firing multiple missiles, including the Tomahawk.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said enhancing Australia’s defense capabilities and working with partners would “change the calculus for any potential aggressor.”

The test-firing is in line with Australia’s plan, announced earlier this year, to spend $7 billion to expand the navy to 26 major surface combatant ships — up from 11 today.

Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for defense industry and capability delivery, called the test-firing a “game-changer.”

“The Tomahawk is the jewel in the crown and a step change in our firepower, deterrence and ability to strike land-based targets at ranges never before available to the Royal Australian Navy,” Conroy said.

Australia plans to buy more than 200 Tomahawk missiles to arm some of its warships.

The naval expansion plan comes as China and other powers in the Asia-Pacific and beyond build up their firepower.

Last year, President Biden formally announced that Australia would purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S. A partnership between the U.S., U.K. and Australia, announced in 2021, enabled Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered vessels, as a counterweight to China’s military buildup.

While the Virginia-class submarines will be nuclear-powered, they will not be armed with atomic weapons and are instead expected to carry long-range cruise missiles.