Australia will spend $2.6 billion (3.5 billion Australian dollars) to upgrade its defensive missiles as the security environment in the Asia-Pacific region becomes more challenging due to China's assertiveness, the country's defense minister said Tuesday.
The plan -- which will significantly increase the range of missiles on Australia's warships and warplanes -- comes as Australia said it will participate in developing hypersonic missiles with the United States and the United Kingdom as part of the AUKUS deal the three countries signed last year to build nuclear-powered submarines for Canberra.
How Australia became a global example of how to resist Beijing 02:47Hypersonic missilesWang was specifically reacting to Australia's announcement Tuesday that it will help develop hypersonic missiles and undersea drones in conjunction with the US and the UK.Wang said Australia and its partners are intensifying the arms race in the region, adding"Asia-Pacific countries should be on high alert."Hypersonic missiles are weapons that can fly five times faster than the speed of sound.
Military analyst: Hypersonic missile tests are a counter to Putin's threats 01:07An AUKUS statement did not give any timeline or specifics on development of the missiles.But for undersea drones, it said trials would come in the near future."Our nations are collaborating on autonomous underwater vehicles, which will be a significant force multiplier for our maritime forces.
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