Australia to participate in US missile defence program

Thursday, 4 December 2003
153/2003

AUSTRALIA TO PARTICIPATE IN US MISSILE DEFENCE PROGRAM

The Government has decided that Australia will participate in the United
States' missile defence program, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced
today.

Senator Hill said Australia was working with the US to determine the
most appropriate forms of Australian participation that will not only be
in our strategic defence interests but also provide maximum
opportunities for Australian industry.

These could include:
* Expanded cooperation to help detect missiles at the point of launch
and therefore get early warning of an impending attack.
* Acquisition of, or other cooperation in the fields of, ship-based and
ground-based sensors.
* Science and technology research development, testing and evaluation.
Senator Hill said the missile defence program was a non-nuclear
defensive system that did not threaten other countries. Its purpose was
to be able to negate a ballistic missile threat and therefore discourage
other countries from investing in ballistic missile systems.

Defence Update 2003, released in February, foreshadowed the increasing
importance of missile defence in the 21st century.

"The Government is concerned that Australia might one day be threatened
by long range missiles with mass destruction effect and believes that
investment in defensive measures is important," Senator Hill said.

"Developing this capability will contribute to global, regional and
Australia security by offering protection from missile attack and
dissuading nations from acquiring or developing such weapons.

"There will also be opportunities for Australian industry. Our decision
last year to invest in the systems development and demonstration phase
of the Joint Strike Fighter program is already paying dividends, with
nine contracts awarded to Australian companies to date. There is the
potential for similar benefits from our involvement in the missile
defence program."

Australia has had a long involvement in missile defence through hosting
a ballistic missile early warning ground station for 29 years as the
Joint Defence Facility Nurrungar and now as the relay ground station at
Pine Gap in the Northern Territory.