Government progressing historic land-based maritime strike capabilities for the Australian Army
6 Dec 2024
The Albanese Government is rapidly pushing ahead to equip the Australian Army with a second long-range fires regiment.
In line with the priorities of the 2024 National Defence Strategy, the Australian Army must be equipped with land-based, long-range fires to protect Australia’s northern approaches.
The Government will select from two options:
The Precision Strike Missile fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher vehicle.
The Naval Strike Missile fired from the StrikeMaster launcher vehicle.
To inform this selection process, a competitive evaluation process will occur over the course of 2025.
This follows the Albanese Government’s decision in August 2023 to accelerate the acquisition of 42 land-based, surface-to-surface HIMARS launchers and precision munitions for the Australian Army.
Together, these capabilities will see two regiments based at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia equipped with long-range fires.
The Albanese Government is investing $28–35 billion over the next decade to develop and enhance targeting and long-range strike capabilities across Defence.
The provision of a long-range maritime strike capability for the Australian Army is another significant milestone towards delivering an integrated, focused Australian Defence Force, equipped to respond to Australia’s complex strategic circumstances.
Source: Defence media