Australia to Buy 450 JATM Missiles Amid U.S. Stockpile Concerns

Australia announced on Thursday a A$736 million (US$518 million) purchase of long-range air-to-air missiles from the United States for its fighter aircraft. The value falls significantly short of the US$3.16 billion foreign military sale approval granted by Washington in March.

First International Buyer of the JATM

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles told journalists his country would acquire up to 450 AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missiles (JATM) from U.S. defence contractor Lockheed Martin for the Royal Australian Air Force. Australia becomes the first nation outside the United States to receive the newly developed missile.

Marles did not specify a delivery timeline. His department also declined to explain why the contract value is substantially lower than the US$3.16 billion figure approved by the U.S. Congress in March, according to AFP.

The March congressional notification on the foreign military sale stated that Australia had requested 450 missiles as part of a broader program encompassing testing and related services.

U.S. Missile Stockpiles Under Strain

A recent analysis published last week by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that the war against Iran has severely depleted U.S. inventories of Patriot and THAAD air and missile defence systems. CSIS warned the shortfall poses “a risk to U.S. ability to fight a war against China in the Western Pacific.”

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have disagreed over ammunition shortages—particularly concerning long-range guided missiles and interceptors.

Trump denied the reports via social media, asserting that the United States holds large stockpiles of munitions.

Global Component Shortages Predate Iran Conflict

Even before the war with Iran, missile manufacturers worldwide faced shortages of critical components due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which began in early 2022.

Australia previously announced plans to invest up to A$36 billion over ten years to develop a domestic guided-missile industry in partnership with international firms including Lockheed Martin.

On Thursday, Australia also confirmed the successful test of a rocket motor developed jointly with France’s Thales Group under a program designed to address shortages of this critical missile production component.