Australia to begin building guided missiles this year
The federal government has announced that Australia will manufacture missiles at home from 2025, with Australia and the United States signing two memoranda of understanding.
The Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Co-Assembly agreement enables the assembly of a first batch of this critical munition in Australia in 2025, and the 155 mm Ammunition Co-Production MOU authorises the transfer of United States intellectual property, and aligns production standards for 155 mm artillery ammunition, enabling greater cooperation on munitions between the Australian Defence Force and the United States Army and Marine Corps.
The government says it has moved quickly towards establishing a local guided missile manufacturing facility through Defence’s partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia.
The announcement of the two MOUs comes as the United States has also granted Congressional approval for the Foreign Military Sale of more than 300 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rounds to Australia.
The government says the missile agreement represents a key milestone towards co-production of viable volumes of GMLRS in Australia for global consumption, and under the government’s plans, a new facility will also be constructed, capable of manufacturing up to 4000 GMLRS a year from 2029.
At the Australia–United States Ministerial Consultations 2023, the United States affirmed its support for Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise and its plan to produce viable volumes of GMLRS for global consumption, establish a sovereign Australian solid rocket motor capability, and manufacture future guided weapons.
“The Albanese government has been utterly determined to see the local manufacturing of guided missiles in Australia — it’s good for our ADF and it’s good for defence industry and jobs,” said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. “This is something that Minister Conroy and I have been determined to deliver, and prove that our actions match our words when it comes to GWEO.”
“This is an important step towards the establishment of domestic guided weapons manufacturing in Australia. It will complement the acquisition of long-range precision-strike capabilities and strengthen the ADF’s ability to protect Australia and its interests,” said Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy.
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