Australia Reportedly Planning to Deploy New Missile Systems Amid China-Taiwan Tensions

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Australian government has been considering the possibility of deploying a new missile system in the country’s north coast presumably amid tensions between China and Taiwan, Australian media reported, citing the national defense ministry.

The government has been reviewing the StrikeMaster land-based maritime strike system and the Naval Strike Missile anti-ship and land-attack armament as potential variants, the report said.

"This [StrikeMaster] is something you put on an island or in northern Australia and it will provide significant coverage. It requires only a few personnel; the effect generated is persistent, and the launcher is difficult to find," John Fry, the general manager at the Kongsberg Defence Australia international technology group headquartered in Norway, was quoted as saying by the Australian media.

The report added that Australia had "lagged for years" in obtaining mobile missile launchers and aimed to make up for it as Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles called for new weapons systems to threaten an adversary "much further" from the Australian shores.

Beijing earlier said that the reason for difficulties in its relations with Canberra in recent years is that the Australian authorities treat China as an adversary rather than a partner.