Australia to start building missiles in 2025 

Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced that the timetable for domestic manufacturing of guided missile weapons will begin in 2025, two years earlier than the original plan.  

The changes include allocating $2.5 billion to the project, representing more than double the intended funding realigned from other cancelled projects. 

The announcement comes after the Albanese government accepted recommendations from a defence review that urged action after China’s launch of the “largest military build-up” of any country since World War II. 

The government will also be spending $1.6 billion to purchase long-range strike systems abroad within the same time frame.  

In an effort to bolster Australian long-range strike capabilities, the government is also in discussions with Kongsberg a Norweigan manufacturer of naval strike missiles.  

In an article from Reuters, defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the aforementioned defence review recommended purchasing Kongsberg’s joint strike missile. Conroy said the acquisition would “”allow us to look at manufacturing the Strike Missile family of missiles in Australia”. 

Despite its moves to bolster military capabilities, Australia maintained that they will still boost diplomacy to deter conflict.