Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise
Hasten Slowly?
Lockheed Martin Australia Chief Executive Warren McDonald, Air Marshal Leon Phillips Chief of GWEO, Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister MDI, and Major General Richard Vagg Head Land Capability.
31 MARCH 2021 - Morrison Governmeent Press release
The Morrison Government will accelerate the creation of a $1 billion Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, boosting skilled jobs and helping secure Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities.
The Department of Defence will now select a strategic industry partner to operate a sovereign guided weapons manufacturing capability on behalf of the Government as a key part of the new Enterprise.
The new Enterprise will support missile and guided weapons manufacturing for use across the Australian Defence Force.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said creating a sovereign defence industrial capability was a key priority for the Government while also creating new opportunities for jobs and small business growth.
“Creating our own sovereign capability on Australian soil is essential to keep Australians safe, while also providing thousands of local jobs in businesses right across the defence supply chain,” the Prime Minister said.
16 JANUARY 2024 Albanese Government Press Release
Australia will begin manufacture of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles next year with the ambition to eventually ramp up production to supply the Australian Defence Force and other. GMLRS, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is launched from the HIMARS (high mobility artillery rocket system), a wheeled vehicle, of which the ADF plans to acquire 42. Acting Defence Minister Pat Conroy said we lived in a missile age with adversaries and potential adversaries and others invested in greater capabilities for long range strike. He said the ADF needed to increase its ability to hold adversaries at arm’s length and the government planned to invest $4.1 billion across the forward estimates in long range strike and missile manufacturing. “Today I am announcing a $37 million contract with Lockheed Martin Australia to begin manufacturing missiles in Australia in 2025,” he told reporters in Canberra.
This contract is about manufacturing an initial batch of missiles to facilitate technology transfer from the US, establish processes for engineering certification and building the technical skills in the workforces ahead of manufacturing at scale.” Conroy said the GMLRS missiles from the HIMARS launch vehicle had been employed to devasting effect by Ukrainian forces against Russians troops, vehicles and equipment. GMLRS is a four-metre missile with a range of around 70 kilometres, with guidance by GPS and inertial navigation.
Six GMLRS missiles are transported and launched from a single pod aboard the HIMARS vehicle. Australia has sought around 1500 missiles through the US FMS system to stand up initial capabilities. The Minister also announced Australia would also be acquiring the first batch of HIMARS launched Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) which have a range in excess of 500 kilometres.
“Over the course of a relatively few years the Australian Army will go from its longest-range weapon being 40 kilometres, to then 70 kilometres, and then 500 kilometres,” he said. “I am also announcing that we have joined the development program for PrSM increments three and four that have the objective of extending the range of PrSM for both land and maritime strike to around 1000 kilometres.” Australia signed onto earlier increments of PrSM development in 2021 in conjunction with the US Army. The Australian Army plans to stand up a PrSM capability by mid-decade.
