Thales Australia is investing $6 million in a cutting-edge advanced manufacturing equipment at the Commonwealth-owned Mulwala facility in regional New South Wales, in an effort to rapidly accelerate its sovereign guided weapons manufacturing capability.
According to the company’s statement, the new equipment will provide a significant step-change in Australia’s sovereign capacity to create guided munitions, allowing the creation of more than 90% of the ADF’s current strategic rocket propulsion inventory and enabling future guided and hypersonic weapons.
Thales Australia’s CEO, Chris Jenkins, said the company’s investment in new large-scale preparation and mixing equipment would allow for a 500% increase in the size of rocket motors that can be produced at Mulwala, allowing for the production of more sophisticated guided weapons and hypersonic weapons.
“Thales Australia is a strategic partner of the Australian Defence Force and we are committed to investing in the resources and technology necessary to support the ADF and Australian Government’s ambition to accelerate the creation of a Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, boosting skilled jobs and helping secure Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities,” Mr Jenkins stated.
“Thales Australia works with more than 600 Australian suppliers and a large range of weapons systems Primes to ensure the ADF receives the locally manufactured munitions they need.”
Thales Australia is the country’s biggest munitions maker, managing the government-owned contractor-operated (GOCO) facilities in Benalla, Victoria, and Mulwala, New South Wales, with over 650 highly trained employees working on development and production of munitions systems for the ADF and allied forces.
