Thales Australia has been selected by Defence to build a forge capable of producing up to 15,000 155mm rounds annually. Defence has also committed to mass-producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) rockets in Australia from 2029.
The facility will be operational at the Commonwealth-owned Benalla Munitions Facility by 2028. It will have a latent ability to scale up so that it can produce upwards of 100,000 rounds annually for global consumption. The forge will be the first non-US facility to build 155mm M795 rounds.
Defence has also announced that it will build a facility in cooperation with Lockheed Martin that will be able to produce up to 4000 GMLRS rockets per year from 2029. The decision to mass produce GMLRS in Australia follows the signing of a contract between Defence and Lockheed Martin Australia to assemble GMLRS rounds from imported kits in 2025.
The GMLRS rounds produced at the new facility from 2029 will include more Australian components including warheads and motors. During Land Forces 2024, Thales Australia signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin Australia which will see Thales Australia build solid rocket motors and explosive warheads for GMLRS rockets.
Both announcements were made upon the release of the 2024 Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan.
A full analysis of the plan as well as the 155mm announcement will follow shortly.