Australia declared on Jan. 5 that it would be investing over A$1 billion to purchase new naval missiles made by Norway-based Kongsberg and a land- based, long-range, surface-to-surface High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Notably, the missile system Australia plans to purchase is the same one that Ukraine has deployed on the battlefield against Russian forces. “The effectiveness of the HIMARS system in the Ukraine conflict has certainly influenced the government’s decision,” Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He added that the government acted swiftly to order the missiles to guarantee its place in the queue, given a “massive increase” in worldwide demand for HIMARS.