HMAS Brisbane launches a Tomahawk missile off San Diego, California (source: Defence Media)

DEFENCE CONNECT: Australia has joined an exclusive club following the successful firing of a Tomahawk cruise missile by HMAS Brisbane, a major milestone for the future firepower of the Royal Australian Navy.

The successful test firing makes Australia one of only three nations alongside the United States and United Kingdom to acquire, and now fire, the Tomahawk cruise missiles. HMAS Brisbane, a Hobart class destroyer, has successfully fired a Tomahawk missile during a test and evaluation activity conducted off the west coast of the United States.

With an extended range of up to 2,500km, the Tomahawk is a world-class capability, which allows maritime platforms to perform long-range precision strike against land targets. Acquiring this capability significantly enhances the ADF’s ability to deter against any potential threat and keep Australians safe. This Tomahawk firing follows the firings of the Naval Strike Missile and Standard Missile 6 earlier this year, and demonstrates progress in satisfying the Defence Strategic Review requirement to enhance the lethality of Navy’s surface combatant fleet.

Australia will acquire more than 200 Tomahawk missiles, which will be deployed in its Hobart class destroyers and future Navy platforms including Virginia class submarines and, subject to feasibility studies, the Hunter class frigates. The Government has committed $1.3 billion to acquire the Tomahawk capability and has brought it into service several years faster than originally planned.

Designed and produced by Raytheon, the Tomahawk cruise missile has evolved since its initial iterations, with the most recent version, called the Block IV Tactical Tomahawk, or TACTOM, which incorporates a data link that allows it to switch targets while in flight, and allows it to loiter for hours and change course instantly on command. As part of the continued development and enhanced lethality of the Tomahawk, the US Navy began re-certifying and modernising the Block IV missile in 2020, thereby extending its service life by 15 years, and resulting in the new Tomahawk Block V series.