[Piefloater]

At $544,000 per missile, $350 million is going to buy a lot of long range cruise missiles even allowing for the inevitable other costs associated with this type of purchase. So is this provocative or just plain good planning?

[MNJohnnie]

I would think anyone with a brain would be smart enough not to mess with the Aussies but one never knows. As several people have said in the past,

If you would have peace, be prepared for war."

[SENTINEL]

"The decision to choose the longer-range Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) will be seen by Indonesia as provocative"

More provacative than the bombing of the Australian night club in Bali ?

[BenLurkin]

The question is: what does Indonesia have planned for Australia that it doesn't want Australia to be able to stop?

[Blueflag]

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/jassm.htm

[Walkingfeather]

I don't think I knew that the hornet could launch cruise missiles. Seems rather inefficient, but I am sure someone here will correct me in a most caustic way ; )

[MARKUSPRIME]

Big deal if asia gets mad. The aussies have a right to arm themselves to defend what is theirs.Jassm is brutal and they are really no way of detecting it before it is up on you. By then its to late.

[brainstem223]

The asians surrounding the continent of Australia have nothing to fear from this weapon-phobic lousy excuse for a nation that confiscated guns from its citizens. They just need to kick down the door and walk right in...!

[Fishing-guy]

Another arms race across the world. Excellent. (sarc.)

[Apercu]

The old SAC motto "Peace Through Strength" never more relevant in todays world.Go Aussies.

[FreeAtlanta]

With the Chinese on their backs, maybe they should consider an even more lethal cruise missile;

[Wiseghy]

I'm surprised that anyone takes Indonesia seriously. Their Armed Forces are even more corrupt than the country over all, and that is saying a lot.

However, they are stratgically spread out over key shipping lanes and could raise a fuss with some of their own missiles, if they had them.

It could be they are posturing to buy some of their own as way to gain military and diplomatic leverage in the region.