Australia Fires U.S. Tomahawk Missile at Sea for First Time

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The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has joined an elite tier of allies Tuesday by successfully firing a Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile for the first time in a test off the American West Coast.

Australia is only the third nation to fire the long range cruise missile after the United States and the United Kingdom.

HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41), the second of three Hobart-class air warfare destroyers in the RAN, fired the Tomahawk missile during its ongoing ‘interchangeability deployment’ to the U.S..

Throughout the deployment Brisbane has operated out of Naval Base San Diego where the ship also completed a four-week maintenance availability with the support of the U.S. Navy.

Australia’s government said in a statement the Tomahawk missile test was a resounding success.

HMAS Brisbane fires a Tomahawk Weapon System off the coast of San Diego, USA. The RAN is accelerating the Tomahawk Weapon System installation in Surface Combatants culminating in a live firing from a Hobart class destroyer 2024. (LSIS Daniel Goodman/RAN)

“The Royal Australian Navy has achieved a major milestone in realising an enhanced and lethal surface combatant fleet,” it said.

With an extended range of up to 1,550 miles, the Tomahawk allows maritime platforms to perform long-range precision strikes against land targets.

The missile “significantly” enhances the Australian military’s ability to deter against any potential threat, Canberra noted in the announcement.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said enhancing Australia’s defense capabilities and working with partners would “change the calculus for any potential aggressor.”

The Tomahawk missile test-firing is in line with Australia’s plan, announced earlier this year, to spend $7 billion to expand the navy to 26 major surface combatant ships — up from 11 today.

The naval expansion plan comes as China and other powers in the Asia-Pacific and beyond build up their firepower.

Australia plans to buy more than 200 Tomahawk missiles to arm some of its warships.