The Australian government is leaning toward a sovereign Bushmaster-based maritime mobile strike option over a HIMARS-based platform.
A tender process to choose has been approved by the government for the Australian Army this week, national broadcaster ABC revealed.
The selection is being made under Project LAND 8113 phase two, with funding expected in the next Department of Defence Integrated Investment Plan, due in 2026.
Land 8113 Phase 1 saw the procurement of 42 Lockheed Martin M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), while Phase 2 called for a land-based maritime strike capability.
The initiative intends to provide the army with greater maneuvering capability around the edges of land and sea, which is currently restricted to 40 kilometers (25 miles).
StrikeMaster
Unveiled in 2022, the StrikeMaster consists of a pair of Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) mounted on the Bushmaster protected vehicle, operational with the Australian Army.
The StrikeMaster is similar to the US Marines’ Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, which pairs a modified unmanned Joint Light Tactical Vehicle with a brace of NSMs.
The HIMARS-based option, meanwhile, consists of a pair of Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2s, with a range of over 400 kilometers (248 miles) and the capability to strike moving targets on land or at sea.
In comparison, the NSM can strike targets out to only 250 kilometers (155 miles).
Sovereign Capability
Despite a clear range disadvantage, the Australian military and government could find a more affordable and sovereign system more suitable to its needs, according to the ABC.
Thales Australia produces the Bushmaster while Norway-based Kongsberg produces the anti-ship missile, which is being procured by the Royal Australian Navy for its major surface warships.
“While the Lockheed Martin-produced HIMARS is regarded well by the Australian military, there are concerns about the high cost and lack of sovereignty with the US-made technology and the long acquisition times given numerous other nations have ordered it,” the outlet wrote.
“…while there was some resistance within the Army to the considerably more affordable StrikeMaster, there was a growing appreciation of its benefits and recognition of the government’s strong willingness to acquire the technology.”
Moreover, Kongsberg, the prime partner on the StrikeMaster program, announced plans last month to produce the missile in Newcastle, making the StrikeMaster a completely Australian product.
Should greater firepower be required, a quad-pack NSM launcher could also be mounted on the Australian Army’s current HX77 vehicle, similar to a Kongsberg system in Europe that has already been selected by Latvia, Poland, and Romania.
