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Daily Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Video shows US Army testing new missiles in Australia
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. In a milestone moment, the US Army has conducted a live-fire test of its precision strike missiles in Australia, the first ever west of the international dateline. The test on Friday (US time), seen in footage obtained by Fox News Digital, marks a significant advancement in the region's long-range strike capabilities. The precision strike missile (PrSM) has an unclassified range of 300 miles (about 480km) and can hit moving targets on land or at sea, Fox News reports. The test saw a US-manufactured PrSM launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle owned by the Australian Defence Force. It was a show of force between the US and Australia at a time of increasing tension in the Indo-Pacific. The US Army conducted the live-fire test of its precision strike missiles on Friday (US time). Picture: Fox News/US Army A US-manufactured PrSM was launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) vehicle owned by the Australian Defence Force. Picture: Fox News/US Army 'This is just one of the key steps we're taking throughout the region to deter conflict, while ensuring that our soldiers have the best capabilities available,' said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who observed the test at the Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia. 'The PrSM allows our forces to hold land and maritime regions at risk, which gives adversaries pause and increases deterrence.' The PrSM is the US Army's newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio, a triad of advanced strike systems that includes HIMARS-launched missiles, the mid-range capability platform and the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile. While HIMARS has already proven itself in combat zones like Ukraine, where its ability to rapidly fire and evade counter-attack has made it a prized system, the integration of the PrSM into this platform significantly enhances its strategic utility. The test marks a significant advancement in the region's long-range strike capabilities. Picture: Fox News/US Army The mobile launcher can be deployed from C-17 and C-130 aircraft, a U.S. Navy landing craft and even from ships at sea, a capability tested in joint drills with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Unlike the 90-mile-range Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS), which fires six missiles per HIMARS, the PrSM packs two missiles per launcher and can reach more than triple the distance. Asked why the missiles were an important part of preparation for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific, Driscoll told reporters, 'I think if you look at the way conflict is unfolding now, what is not being rewarded is large, massive presences with static locations and big footprints and signatures. What is being rewarded is the ability to be agile, hide your signature and move quickly.' The PrSM is the US Army's newest addition to its long-range precision fires (LRPF) portfolio. Picture: Fox News/US Army Fielding of HIMARS continues across the US Indo-Pacific Command, with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii recently receiving 16 launchers, a first for a light infantry division tasked with jungle and archipelagic warfare. Officials say they are looking to increase munitions production with key allies. The test comes after it was revealed the Pentagon privately pressed Australia to define how it might help if war broke out over a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Australia responded by stressing it would not commit troops in advance of any conflict. Australia does not permit permanent foreign military bases, but the US is expanding its rotational presence at Australian sites. Australia and the US recently led a major joint exercise in Sydney involving 30,000 troops from 19 countries. It also comes at a time when Washington is reconsidering whether to sell nuclear-powered, Virginia-class submarines to Sydney through the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) deal. The three nations would jointly design a new class of submarines, with Australian production beginning in the 2040s. This article originally appeared in Fox News and has been reproduced with permission. Originally published as Footage shows US Army testing new precision strike missiles in Australia
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Migrants seeking passage to UK in Calais
Photo shows Ukraine Drone Strike: Screengrab shows a small drone hovering above a truck's trailer with a plume of smoke in the background. Has Video Duration: 1 minute 41 seconds . 1 m 41 s
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Thailand says it agrees in principle to a ceasefire deal with Cambodia which has been proposed by Malaysia
Thailand's government says it agrees in principle to a ceasefire deal with Cambodia and will consider the proposal put forward by Malaysia. The worst fighting between the rival nations in more than a decade has now killed at least 20 people and left dozens of others wounded. Some 130,000 people have been forced to find safety because of the fighting, which expanded along the disputed border during the second day of clashes. Both countries blame the other for starting the conflict, with Thailand warning the skirmishes could turn into all-out war. "It must be stated that throughout the day, Cambodian forces have continued their indiscriminate attacks on Thai territory," the Thai foreign ministry said in a post on X. Before the post, Cambodia had accused Thailand of agreeing to the ceasefire deal, before backtracking. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said Thailand's decision was "regrettable". On Friday evening, a Thailand military border commander declared martial law in eight districts on the frontier with Cambodia, citing "Cambodia's use of force to enter Thai territory". Fighting re-erupted before dawn on Friday, with clashes reported in 12 locations, up from six on Thursday, according to Thailand's military. It accused Cambodia of using artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rockets to attack areas that included schools and hospitals. "The deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime and those responsible must be brought to justice," it said. Cambodia has no fighter aircraft and significantly less defence hardware and personnel. It has urged the UN Security Council to address what it says is Thailand's "unprovoked military aggression". It said Thailand's bombardments had caused "significant and visible damage" to the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that both countries have laid claim to for decades. Thailand's military called the allegation "a clear distortion of facts". Cambodia's government expressed outrage at what it said was the use of cluster munitions, calling it a clear violation of international law. Thailand's military said the country was not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but that it followed the principle of proportionality "to enhance explosive destruction capabilities against military targets only". People living near the conflict zones on both sides of the border have been forced to flee. Nut Sokkheng, 62, said she and her grandson were injured in fighting which broke out about 4km from Ta Moan, one of the disputed temples along the border. "I have suffered injuries on my left leg and my grandson broke his right leg. Please help him. He is young and still studies," she said. Nhib Saran, 62, said he was leaving home for an evacuation area after fighting came close to his home in Samrong district, Uddar Meanchey province. "I want to leave home, go far from the gunshots from Thailand because I am afraid … in this war, there have been big airstrikes. I am afraid of staying home, so I take my children out of the firing area," he said. Thai farmer Jeenjana Phapan fled her village with her three-year-old son after shells landed in the rice field behind their house. She left her husband behind to care for their cows and protect their home. "I hope my husband can hide if more shells come," she said. South-East Asia expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank, Andreyka Natalegawa, told the ABC neither country could afford a full-blown war. He said it was important to quickly get an independent fact-finder, or neutral observer, to get to the bottom of what sparked the latest round of violence "in a bid to bring these events to a more calm state." There has never been a war between two member states of the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) bloc, but he said this conflict presented a challenge to the institution. "There's a real impetus for parties like Malaysia, as well as other ASEAN member states, including Indonesia and Philippines, Singapore, to take a more firm stance and to actively engage with their counterparts on both sides in pursuit of seeking a resolution," Mr Natalegawa said. "This current crisis and the prospect of current skirmishes emerging into something greater poses a real dire challenge to the institution." Thailand had not shown interest in third-party mediation, despite saying it would consider Malaysia's peace proposal. Mr Natalegawa said that was in line with the country's previous desire to achieve a bilateral solution to tension. He said the ceasefire proposal was an important step by the ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. "The question will just be whether there's any appetite on both sides to engage in this sort of mediation," he said. ABC/wires
