Australia has announced that it will jointly with the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defense to produce long-range Naval Strike Missiles and Joint Strike Missiles on the east coast of Australia. This will be the first site for the production of such missiles outside of Norway, Reuters reports, according to UNN.
Details
Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy said that the Australian government will allocate $573.8 million to create a production facility with Kongsberg near Newcastle Airport later this year.
The anti-ship cruise missiles will be used by the Australian defense forces, he said in a statement. It will be one of only two facilities in the world capable of producing the missiles, and the only site outside Kongsberg, Norway.
Australia has announced that it will establish a guided weapons production facility as part of its defense modernization to improve the Australian Defense Force's ability to deliver precision strikes at long range amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia is also developing a hypersonic missile as part of the AUKUS defense technology partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, and next year will begin joint production of guided missiles with the United States.
"Establishing a manufacturing facility in the Newcastle airport area will help increase Australia's self-sufficiency and military stockpile, as well as support the local economy and the Australian defense industry," Conroy's office said in a statement.