The Australian government has expressed its interest in the purchase of an additional 200 Javelin missiles for its armed forces.
The potential purchase, which has an estimated value of $46 million, has been approved by the US State Department.
According to a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statement, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is seeking to fill a short-term shortfall in its Javelin missile inventory in order to maintain the appropriate level of readiness.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region,” DSCA said.
It is worth noting that these missiles would be provided from US Army stocks.
The shoulder-fired anti-tank missile has been in use in Australia since the early 2000s. Australian remote weapon systems manufacturer EOS recently announced it had tested the capability of its R400S Mk2 RWS to launch Javelin missiles. R400S is being installed on Australian Army’s Bushmaster and Hawkei protected mobility vehicles.
