Thales Australia has officially opened its new advanced manufacturing facility in Lithgow in regional New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to transform the site into an advanced manufacturing 4.0 and integration hub for precision manufacturing.
The hub will combine traditional precision manufacturing and digital technologies, including 3D printing, and the installation of automated electro-plating and other metal treatment capabilities to produce next-generation Australian-designed weapon systems.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy visited the site’s opening on Thursday, 31 August.
The new Lithgow facility will be equipped with a new purpose-built live firing test and evaluation capability to support systems qualifications and integrations and accelerate research and technology development of digitalised small-arms and weapon system platforms, the company said in a media release.
The facility will also host collaborations across research institutions and industry partners to create the soldier systems and small arms of the future.
It will also facilitate the training of the next generation of skilled advanced manufacturing workers in the central west of New South Wales, Thales said.
Lithgow Arms currently exports its globally competitive small arms to 17 countries and has served as a key industrial partner to the Australian Defence Force, delivering small arms and weapons systems, as well as end-to-end logistics and sustainment to its soldiers for more than a century.
“Thales Australia is a proud and committed steward of sovereign industrial capability in this country, and has taken this role seriously since our acquisition of ADI more than two decades ago,” said Julie Brown, vice president of land at Thales Australia and New Zealand.
“Lithgow Arms is the home of the only small arms manufacturing capability in Australia and we are proud to be a major employer in regional NSW. Our workforce is highly skilled and multi-generational.”
Lithgow Arms boasts a 110-year history of manufacturing sovereign small arms for Australian Defence. The Australian company employs over 140 in regional New South Wales.
