Australia is poised to enhance its domestic manufacturing capabilities for precision guided munitions (PGM) by integrating locally-produced rocket motors and warheads into the US-guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) missiles. This initiative was unveiled during the Land Forces Expo in Melbourne on Wednesday, with defense company Thales Australia, a subsidiary of Thales Group, set to produce these essential components.
Earlier in the year, Lockheed Martin and the Australian Department of Defence announced plans to assemble GMLRS missiles in Australia using exclusively US-sourced components. While some critics likened this effort to assembling flat-pack furniture, it marked a crucial milestone in Australia’s quest for a domestic PGM production capability.
Lockheed is establishing assembly operations for GMLRS at its defense facility in Orchard Hills, New South Wales, with the first fully Australian-assembled missile scheduled for production next year. The warheads and rocket motors manufactured by Thales at plants in Benalla, Victoria, and Mulwala, NSW, are expected to be the first significant locally-produced components for the GMLRS system.
Ken Kota, Lockheed’s vice president for international integration, emphasized the company’s commitment to collaborating with Australian partners for missile production. „The global supply of solid rocket motors is under stress. We need partners globally in order to be successful,” he stated, adding that extensive engineering and collaboration between US and Australian teams is already underway.
Thales CEO Jeff Connolly remarked that this partnership has been in development for over two years. He noted, „We started the discussion about what it would take to manufacture a rocket motor and warhead for GMLRS as a starting point,” underscoring that this agreement aims to fulfill both domestic and international needs.
Connolly attributed the momentum of this deal to the AUKUS agreement, which has fostered unprecedented cooperation between Australia and its allies. He stated, „The collaboration enabled by AUKUS allows us to expedite certifications, ensuring that these weapons are comparable to those produced by Lockheed and its partners in the US.”
Australian components will gradually be incorporated into the GMLRS production line, but the initial production rounds will consist solely of US-made parts, including rocket motors and warheads. Full integration of Australian-made components will only occur once they are thoroughly developed and certified, a process both companies hope to complete by the end of the decade.
Thales has prior experience with the production of BLU series bombs, which were utilized by US Marine Corps aircraft earlier this year. This expertise contributes to the development of the rocket motors, as noted by Duncan Watt, manager of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise at Thales. He pointed out that the chemistry used in both aircraft bombs and rocket motors is similar, involving a cast composite material with polymer chemistry.
The strategic advantage of establishing domestic PGM production capabilities is evident given Australia’s geographic context. Relying on US or European production lines during a conflict could be detrimental. Furthermore, there’s potential for Australia to position itself as a Pacific hub for supplying weaponry to regional partners and allies.
Australia has also announced plans for local production of the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile and the Joint Strike Missile, demonstrating its ambition to enhance its defense manufacturing capabilities.
Air Marshal Leon Phillips, head of the Australian Defence Department’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, emphasized the importance of moving beyond mere assembly. “If, in five years, we find ourselves only bolting together components from foreign production lines, I will consider it a failure in our ability to elevate our sovereignty,” he stated. He cautioned that merely relying on imported rocket motors would not resolve existing supply constraints.
