Australia to buy up to 220 US Tomahawk missiles

epa02642691 A US Navy file picture made avalaible on 19 March 2011 shows sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) conducting an operational tomahawk missile launch while underway in a training area off the coast of California, 29 September 2010. The United States and British ships have fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at air defences on the ground in Libya, the US Pentagon confirmed on 19 March 2011. Air defences are being targeted to help the international community enforce a no-fly zone over Libya and prevent Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi from engaging in a brutal crackdown down on civilians and anti-government forces in the country following the UN security council resolution passed on 17 March. EPA/MC1 Woody Shag Paschall / U.S. Navy HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY Credit: MC1 Woody Shag Paschall / U.S. Navy HANDOUT/EPA

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The United States has approved the sale of more than 200 long-range missiles, destined for Australia under the AUKUS pact. The government says the weapons are critical to keeping adversaries at bay while maintaining the military build-up is about peace, not war.

The might of the United States military could soon be in Australia's hands after the US State department approved the sale of 220 of its Tomahawk long-range missiles.

The missiles have the ability to hit targets 1,500 kilometres away from the launch site.

Costing 1.3 billion-dollars, the missiles can be fitted to the navy's Hobart-class destroyers, and also fired from the Virginia-class nuclear submarines Australia is also buying from the U-S.