Thales Australia has ventured into a partnership with global defence security company Expal Systems to establish sovereign capability solutions that will boost the supply of large calibre Naval munitions and fuzes for the Australian Defence Force, as well as its allies.
The agreement will facilitate the technology transfer of intellectual property to Australia, as well as the development of new manufacturing processes that will enable the local production of critical munitions, such as 5” Charge Propelling, high explosives projectiles, and advanced fuze solutions.
“Over the past 12 months, we have established significant partnerships with some of the world’s preeminent munitions providers including EXPAL, to nurture technology transfer to Australia and establish local production capability of critical munitions,” said Corry Roberts, vice president for land at Thales Australia & New Zealand.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently uses 5” naval munitions that are manufactured and supplied separately by both Expal in Spain and Thales in Australia.
Both companies have also agreed to an extensive research and development program that would establish a roadmap for the Australian Defence Force for 5” munition technology enhancement on current and future RAN platforms.
