Quad member Australia pushes to establish guided missile production plant... "Possessing autonomous capability is essential"

860 Billion Won Budget Allocated for Missile Factory Establishment
High Possibility of Missile Production Partnership with US Defense Contractor

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Australian government announced plans to establish a guided missile production plant through partnerships with overseas defense contractors to independently produce missiles. As a Quad member along with the United States, Japan, and India, Australia aims to strengthen its containment of China through military expansion and increase its weapons self-sufficiency to prepare for supply chain crises.

According to Australia's public broadcaster ABC on the 31st, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed plans to establish a guided missile production plant through partnerships with overseas defense companies. Prime Minister Morrison emphasized, "As confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, possessing autonomous capabilities in a rapidly changing global environment?whether in vaccine development or defense?is essential," adding, "We must prioritize the independent production of guided weapons."

The Australian government is reportedly allocating a budget of 1 trillion Australian dollars (approximately 860 billion KRW) for this missile factory establishment project. Melissa Price, Australia's Minister for Defence Industry, stated, "The economic impact of domestic guided missile production is expected to reach 40 billion Australian dollars over 20 years, and more than 2,000 jobs related to the production process will be created nationwide."

As a member of the Quad, an Asia-Pacific security consultative body along with the United States, Japan, and India, Australia is actively participating in the U.S. strategy to contain and block China and has recently embarked on a large-scale military expansion. Earlier this year, the Australian government announced plans to invest 270 billion Australian dollars in defense and military supply sectors over the next decade.

The Australian Department of Defence is also selecting partner companies to entrust with the operation of the missile production facilities. Candidates for partnership include major defense contractors such as the U.S. companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, Norway's Kongsberg, and the UK's BAE Systems. However, since Australia is a Quad member and earlier Defense Minister Peter Dutton stated, "We will work closely with the United States to promote domestic production of guided missiles," it is widely expected that a U.S. defense contractor will be selected.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.