Politics

Australia to manufacture missiles as part of new defense plan

Sydney, Australia, March 31 (efe-epa).- Australia announced Wednesday it would promote the construction of its own guided missiles as part of a plan to develop the manufacture of weapons worth AUD$1 billion Australian ($760 million.)

“Building our own sovereign capacity on Australian soil is essential to keeping Australians safe while providing thousands of local jobs at companies across the defense supply chain,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.

He said that by creating a Sovereign Guided Arms Company, a strategic industrial partner will be selected to support the new missiles and guided weapons manufacturer in the Australian Army.

Defense Minister Peter Dutton said Australia, which will work closely with the United States, will also ensure an adequate supply of arms in the event of a disruption in supply chains.

Australia recently announced its partnership with the United States, its long-standing military ally and partner in the secret Five Eyes Intelligence network (also made up of the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand), to develop an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile that exceeds the speed of sound.

The Australian Institute of Strategic Policies estimates that the country, which last manufactured its missiles in the 1960s, will spend about AUD $ 100 trillion ($ 75 billion) on it over the next 20 years in the purchase of weapons and guided missiles. EFE-EPA

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