News Review: $40 million production order for Nulka | ADM Aug 2010

The DMO has awarded BAE Systems a 12th successive annual contract to produce additional rounds for the Nulka soft kill anti-ship missile decoy.

Under the $40 million contract BAE Systems Australia will produce additional rounds at its Melbourne facility for use by the Australian, US and Canadian navies.

The system is now deployed aboard 130 different ships, including RAN FFG and Anzac frigates; it will also equip the Hobart class AWDs.

This latest follow-on order (known as Option 20) will see production extended to 2013, supporting about 130 local jobs.

BAE Systems is the prime contractor responsible for design, development and integration of the Nulka system.

Two US sub-contractors, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet, manufacture the electronic warfare payload and the rocket motor respectively.

In April this year BAE Systems completed, on time and on budget, delivery of the Option 17 production rounds which were ordered in 2007.

To date, 940 Nulka rounds have been produced.

Later this year the company will complete production of the 1000th round, which will be a significant program milestone.

Nulka is also Australia’s largest and most successful regular defence export, with earnings of more than $800 million over the past two decades.