SpaceWar.com reports: “New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said Monday that a Chinese naval group conducting military exercises in the Tasman Sea was armed with ‘extremely capable’ weaponry with the ability to target mainland Australia.

Calling the minimal advance warning provided by Chinese authorities of two so-called live-fire exercises by the People’s Liberation Army warships southeast of Australia on Friday and Saturday ‘unusual’, Collins said the presence of such a powerful naval force was an omen of the need for New Zealand to ramp up defense spending amid rising strategic rivalry in the region.

‘We’ve certainly never seen a task group of this capability undertaking this sort of work, it’s certainly a change,’ she said of the incident which forced the last-minute diversions of at least three flights in the area.

‘The weapons they have are extremely capable. One has 112 vertical launch cells and has reported anti-ship ballistic missile range of 540 nautical miles,’ said Collins, who added that the battle group was now 280 miles east of Tasmania and being shadowed by the New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha…”