Thales Australia’s Lithgow Arms business in regional NSW has established a Small Arms Collaboration and Cooperation Centre (C3) to support and help grow the capabilities of its Australian SME and industrial partners.
Housed inside the Lithgow Arms small arms factory, the C3 is designed to break down costly barriers to entry for SMEs and industrial partners by providing ready access to Lithgow Arms resources and equipment, engineering skills, and expertise.
“Fostering an interest-based learning model, collaborators within the C3 are able to securely share areas of expertise to advance skills, collaborate on research and design, and seek manufacturing support to accelerate sovereign small arms innovation and design in support of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), commercial, and export markets,” Thales Australia said in a statement.
Early C3 adopters Southern Cross Small Arms (SCSA), Hosico, A.W. Bell, and Wedgetail Industries are currently collaborating with the Lithgow Arms team to gain support in areas such as prototyping, test and evaluation, qualification, industrialisation, and advanced manufacturing, allowing them to pursue programs in domestic commercial and law enforcement, as well as export.
The C3 is currently working on a project to create 100% Australian-made commercial items for sporting shooters and the farming industry.
The group is able to generate an increase in Australian industry content by utilizing and merging the intellectual property, distinctive experience, and skills of Lithgow Arms, SCSA, Hosico, A.W. Bell, and Wedgetail Industries to meet their commercial objectives.
Within the C3, work is also being done with FN Herstal to investigate the manufacture and support of FN Herstal weapon’s systems.
The most prominent C3 success story is Thales Australia’s recent partnership with Rheinmetall Defence Australia and SME, A.W. Bell, which resulted in Lithgow Arms successfully manufacturing essential components for Rheinmetall’s Mk30-2 cannon in support of the Australian Defence Force’s Land 400 program.
A.W. Bell is now putting their world-class casting expertise to work with Rheinmetall to see whether they can enhance component production for armoured vehicles in Australia.
Matt Duquemin, Director Integrated Weapons and Sensors, Thales Australia, said the establishment of the C3 was a critical next step in delivering the Lithgow Arms masterplan, following the company’s recent $6.5 million investment in the first phase of an industrial plan to transform the facility.
He said the new development will expand the world-leading precision-manufacturing capability of Lithgow Arms to support new sovereign manufacturing partnerships for strategic ADF programs.
“Opening the C3 inside the Lithgow Arms factory is critical in achieving the vision of the Lithgow Arms masterplan and redevelopment,” he stated
“The future of our business here in Lithgow is not just about building an advanced manufacturing precinct – it’s about growing a sustainable and competitive sovereign industry capability in regional New South Wales to ensure the Australian Defence Force is ready now, future ready.”
