The Australian government has appointed Air Vice-Marshal Leon Phillips as the inaugural chief of Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise as part of an effort to bring long-range guided weapons and munitions manufacturing to Australia.
The move is part of the Albanese government’s priorities of the Defence Strategic Review, which recommended the designation of a senior officer with the sole responsibility of leading the GWEO Enterprise, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Department of Defence and the Chief of the Australian Defence Force.
Phillips will be promoted to Air Marshall and is slated to begin in his new role on 8 May.
Phillips is bringing to the position over 36 years of experience in the Royal Australian Air Force, where he handled advanced aerospace projects and managed in-service support. He also possesses a strong track record of partnerships established within the defence industry.
“Congratulations to Air Vice-Marshal Phillips on his appointment to this important role, which will oversee the delivery of the ADF’s guided weapons and explosive ordnance requirements,” said Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy. “I look forward to working with Air Vice-Marshal Phillips and Australia’s defence industry on delivering critical capabilities we need for our national security.”
The Defence Strategic Review proposed the acceleration and scale of Australia’s weapons systems, including land-based maritime strike and long-range missile launchers, by investing in GWEO stocks and establishing sovereign missile and munition manufacturing facilities in Australia.
As part of the effort, the Albanese government has poured over $2.5 billion in GWEO, which is an increase of more than $1.5 billion.
The investment is intended to help fund the manufacturing of guided weapons and their critical components, improving the ADF’s self-reliance and Australia’s export capacity.
Overall, the Albanese government has allocated approximately $4.1 billion over the forward estimates to acquire more long-range strike systems and manufacture long-range munitions in Australia.
