Thales Australia will build rocket motors and explosive warheads for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets under an agreement with Lockheed Martin Australia.
Under a contract with Defence is standing up assembly of GMLRS at Orchard Hills, NSW, from US components with the first wholly Australian-assembled round to be produced next year.
Australian-made warheads and rocket motors from the Thales plants in Benalla, Victoria and Mulwala, NSW, are likely to be the first significant locally produced components for GMLRS.
Ken Kota, Lockheed Martin vice-president for international integration said Lockheed was committed to finding Australian partners for missile production.
“We are announcing a teaming agreement with Thales Australia to produce solid rocket motors, fully utilising the Benalla and Mulwala capabilities. Again, it’s in partnership with defence,” he said.
“The global supply of solid rocket motors is under stress. We need partners globally in order to be successful.
“We have very good plans in place. We have done a lot of engineering already. Our team ion the US is designing and collaborating with the team here very regularly. ”
Thales Australia CEO Jeff Connolly said this was more than two years in the making.
“We started the discussion about what would it take to make a rocket motor and warhead for GMLRS as a start point.”
Mr Connolly this wasn’t just to meet Australian missile requirements, it was for global requirements.
He said that Thales’ rocket motors already exist, although final detailed design is yet to be completed.
“People would like to tell you that Australia can’t do – well it’s already there.”
“It’s enabled by AUKUS and propelled by AUKUS. The amount of cooperation between the states and Australia now because of AUKUS means we can really get going on certifications together, accelerate that through so that these weapons are the sane as what would be produced by Lockheed and its partners in the US.”
That’s likely to occur before the end of the decade.
Mr Connolly said Australian components would be progressively introduced into GMLRS production.
Thales Australia has already produced BLU series bombs which flew on US Marine Corps aircraft earlier this year.
“That’s the same chemistry involved in those type of aircraft bombs as in rocket motors, a cast compositive material with polymer chemistry, said Duncan Watt, manager for the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise for Thales.