Briefly:
The Australian Navy has successfully tested its new Naval Surface-to-Surface Missile (NSM) in a “major milestone” for the country’s military capabilities.
The test was conducted during the Rim of the Pacific exercises on July 15, hosted by the United States off the coast of Hawaii.
The NSM system is a replacement for the Navy’s aging Harpoon weapon system, promising a “significant increase in lethality” for the Australian fleet.
The Australian Navy has successfully tested its new Naval Missile (NSM) in a “significant achievement” for the country’s military capabilities, according to a statement.
The NSM system was acquired from the Norwegian company Kongsberg, and is a replacement for the Navy’s aging Harpoon weapon system.
The Australian Navy chief, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, said the deal would result in a “significant increase in lethality” for the Australian fleet.
The NSM missile test was conducted during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) exercises that concluded on July 15 this year, hosted by the US Navy off the coast of Hawaii.
“HMAS Sydney’s launch of the Naval Strike Missile during RIMPAC 2024 represents a significant increase in the lethality of our surface fleet, and delivers on our commitment to accelerate the introduction of enhanced lethal strike capabilities,” Vice Admiral Hammond said.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the event was “an excellent example of collaboration between the Department of Defence, our international partners and Australian industry to accelerate the delivery of new capabilities to enhance regional stability”.
“Australia’s strategic environment is changing rapidly and the introduction of the Sea Strike Missile allows our Navy’s surface ships to conduct long-range sea strike and delivers on our promise to increase the capability and effectiveness of our Navy,” he added.
During the exercise, the Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Sydney simulated the sinking of USS Tarawa LHA1.
HMAS Sydney – built at Osborne in South Australia – is a guided missile destroyer that can provide air defence and maritime protection for escort ships, ground forces and infrastructure in coastal areas.
Combining air and naval capabilities is called “multi-domain strike” – a strategy the Australian Defence Force has recently begun to employ.
“The Sea Strike Missile is a key capability to enhance the lethality and survivability of our ships and enable us to keep the adversary vulnerable at greater range,” said Vice Admiral Hammond.
“Multi-domain strike capabilities including the Maritime Strike Missile form the basis for deterring any potential adversary attempts to project power against Australia.”
While the Navy has not confirmed the range of the NSM, the weapons manufacturer Raytheon It claims a range of 185.2 kilometres – up from 124 km range for the old Harpoon system.
Over $1 billion spent on NSM contract
Mr Conroy spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). last year About buying NSM.
“This was a very important day to strengthen the Australian Defence Force, respond to the strategic uncertainty we face, and demonstrate the Albanian Government’s commitment to strengthening Australia’s national security,” he said at the time.
He said the Australian Defence Force could not confirm exactly how much it spent on the contract because the country’s enemies could use the figure to calculate how many missiles were purchased.
The amount spent on the contract, which also included the HIMARS missile system, was estimated to be between $1 billion and $2 billion.
He said the Australian Defence Force was “inspired” to make the purchase after seeing the weapons used in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“We saw it” [HIMARS] “The Ukrainian military has used these weapons with great effectiveness in response to Vladimir Putin’s illegal, unprincipled and unjustified attack on the people and territory of Ukraine,” he said.
“We have seen that mobile missile systems are very effective in defending Ukraine.”
The HIMARS system, which has a range of 499 kilometers, was tested in July last year.
