Australia commits to missile production projects

Australia's new rocket motor tender is envisaged to produce components that support the country's procurement of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System seen here being fired from a US Army M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System. (US Army)

The Australian government has announced investments to support its long-term plan to develop domestic guided missile capability.

Canberra said on 16 September that it will invest AUD22 million (USD14.8 million) in a programme to locally produce rocket motors for missiles and AUD60 million to develop and build guided weapon subsystems and components. The investments are part of Australia's Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise.

Rocket motors

The investment in rocket motors is supported through a limited request for information (RFI) issued by the Australian government on 16 September that seeks industry responses to support a Department of Defence (DoD) project to establish a rocket motor manufacturing facility in Australia. The DoD said it envisaged that the proposed facility would produce “rocket motors for some of the world's most advanced missiles in Australia”.

Australia's Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the RFI seeks responses from 15 unidentified companies that “according to analysis from [the DoD] offer the most credible solutions to be a partner for us”.

Industry responses to the tender are scheduled to be returned to the DoD by the end of 2024, and these responses will inform the DoD's approach to market in 2025 “to select suitable industry partners”, Conroy said.

He said he expected the rocket motor facility to be operational by the end of the decade. Conroy said, “2030 is a realistic and, quite frankly, a conservative estimation on the timing, but I prefer to be conservative rather than be too ambitious at this stage.”

GMLRS