Originally Posted by
Asturias56
The big question in my mind is does Australia need to be able to strike at the Chinese mainland on their own? A " land based, mobile, long range strategic missile capability (5000kms +) conventionally armed." isn't going to work - if you are in it with the USA any ICBM will be assumed to be N tipped whatever you say, If you're on your own that's a very expensive delivery system with the effect of the V2 campaign on the UK in 1944/45 - irritating but pointless. You fire 100 missiles and hit about 100 hectares of China...............
Not talking about striking the mainland necessarily - I would have thought the ability to hold anything strategic within a 5000km radius at immediate threat from a launcher you couldn't find would be quite handy.
Ships, installations, you name it.
Combined with subs and a long range stealthy airborne platform - and you effectively have a long range conventional triad capable of precision strikes at distance.
And it doesn't necessarily have to be a conventional ICBM - think hypersonics - there's work being done here now - and has been for a long time.