The Australian government plans to procure Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC and Standard Missile 6 missiles from the United States for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart‑class destroyers and Hunter‑class frigates.
Canberra said Tuesday that the acquisition, valued at about $4.7 billion, will boost the layered strike and missile defense capability of RAN’s surface combatant fleet, which is already armed with the ESSM Block 2 and Naval Strike Missile. The SM-2 IIIC’s active seeker technology will significantly enhance the country’s missile defense capabilities while the SM-6 missile will provide RAN with an offensive anti-ship capability and extend its defense against aerial threats, it added.
In August, SM-6 tests were conducted aboard the light cruiser HMAS Sydney during Exercise Pacific Dragon 2024 to demonstrate the missiles’ long-range strike capabilities.
Pat Conroy, Australian minister for defense industry and capability delivery, said that Australia is the first country to fire the SM-6 after the United States, demonstrating the two countries’ strong alliance.
“Australia is facing the most contested geostrategic environment since the Second World War,” he said in a statement announcing the U.S. deal. “The SM-6 missile will provide Australia with long-range air defense capability against air and missile threats and offensive anti-ship capability and, for the first time, a terminal ballistic missile defense capability.”