On 9 April, Lockheed Martin Australia, the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Group, and the Australian Army conducted a live-fire demonstration of an Australian-manufactured Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia.
Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, Jeremy King, acknowledged the teamwork that led to the successful launch.
“This is an outstanding achievement. We have worked closely with Defence to make ready the Port Wakefield facility and produce the first GMLRS outside the United States—all within two years. This speed to capability aligns with the Government’s GWEO objectives and is a testament to the outstanding collaborative work of the Australian team and our U.S. colleagues," King stated.
The purpose of the live fire was to demonstrate the ongoing development of the Australian domestic GWEO manufacturing capability. The launch was supported by the 14th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery of the Australian Army’s 10th Brigade.
“Lockheed Martin is proud to be at the forefront of bringing advanced manufacturing technology to Australia and we look forward to working closely with the Australian Government, Defence and industry partners to continue building a domestic guided weapons manufacturing industry,” Lockheed Martin Tactical Missiles, Vice President and General Manager, Gaylia Campbell, highlighted.
The live-fire demonstration has marked a milestone for Lockheed Martin and the GWEO Group, with the first ever launch of an Australian-manufactured GMLRS from an Australian High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The GMLRS is a precision-guided munition and the primary weapon for the Australian Army’s HIMARS launch vehicles, with a range exceeding 70 km.
The final assembly and delivery of the missiles to the Australian Army were undertaken by a team of Australian engineers trained at Lockheed Martin’s US production facilities before returning home to establish the Port Wakefield production line—demonstrating the power of allied cooperation, workforce development, and technology transfer.
The delivery of the first tranche of Australian-manufactured GMLRS, together with the subsequent live-fire demonstration, completed the final milestone in the fulfilment of the Guided Weapons Production Capability Risk Reduction Activity contract.
This milestone was only achieved through the close collaboration between Lockheed Martin, the United States Government, the Australian Government, Defence, and local industry partners to establish advanced missile manufacturing in Australia.
Establishing GMLRS production in Australia supports the Australian Government’s GWEO objectives to establish sovereign guided weapons manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, and increase Australian Defence Force (ADF) munitions stockpiles.
Beyond its strategic importance to Australia, this new manufacturing capability will deliver tangible benefits to all MLRS Family‑of‑Munitions users worldwide.
As production begins to ramp up, the Port Wakefield facility will expand opportunities for Australian industry participation.
The GMLRS live-fire demonstration at Woomera achieved all test objectives and captured a suite of performance data that will be used to validate the system in preparation for a full US certification flight test in 2027.