The Australian government plans to provide its special operations forces with equipment and technologies worth 1 billion Australian dollars ($700 million).
As the second stage of “Project Greyfin,” the weapons upgrade will include “highly specialized communications and intelligence equipment, new water and land vehicles, tactical equipment and weapons and new facilities,” Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office stated in a press release.
Upgrade to Help Solve ‘Unique Problems’
Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said the weapons infusion would allow Special Operations Command to respond to threats at home and abroad.
“Given the rapidly evolving strategic and threat environment facing Australia, special forces troops need the best gear. And it’s equally important that Defence is agile enough to get this equipment to the troops, when they need it,” said Dutton.
Dutton said the program’s first stage enabled forces to plug capability gaps. The second stage will focus on “cutting edge innovation, research, science and technology, to better equip our forces and help them solve unique problems.”
20-Year Project
The Morrison government launched Project Greyfin in 2019 to better counter a range of threats, including terrorism.
The government announced it would spend 3 billion Australian dollars ($2.1 billion) over twenty years on the project, out of which 500 million Australian dollars ($350 million) have already been spent.