Australia to build GMLRS and forge M795s for ADF and export

The government has more initiatives in the domestic manufacturing of missiles and munitions at scale.

FILE PHOTO: An American HIMARS in action.

One announcement was that Thales had been selected as the preferred tenderer to build a new domestic forging capability for 155mm M795 artillery ammunition.

M795 155mm artillery ammunition are used by Australia, the United States and other international partners for the M777A2 Light Towed Howitzer, a critical close-fires capability.

Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy said Defence would work with Thales as the preferred company to build, establish and commission the forge at the Commonwealth-owned Benalla Munitions Facility.

“This forge will produce 15,000 rounds each year by 2028, with capacity to produce up to 100,000 for global consumption,” Mr Conroy said.

“It will also be the first dedicated forge outside of the United States that will manufacture 155mm M795 artillery ammunition.”

Asked why NIOA, who already have a 155mm artillery-shell forge in Queensland did not win the contract, Mr Conroy said, “They produce rounds for Germany, which is great – but those rounds aren’t used in Australia on any of our platforms” – which is incorrect, according to the 5-year extension to supply 155mm ammo for the ADF’s M777A2 howitzers, which was announced in June last year.

The journalist who asked the question inferred that NIOA was snubbed because of its leanings towards the Liberal Party – which Mr Conroy denied, just before making the erroneous statement above.

In another boost to domestic manufacturing, the government also committed to an Australian facility to manufacture Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), in partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia.

GMLRS is a long-range surface-to-surface precision strike capability that can be fired from High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.

Mr Conroy said this new facility would enable Australia to produce viable volumes of GMLRS for global consumption.

“It will be capable of producing up to 4000 GMLRS each year from 2029.

“This represents more than a quarter of the current global production and more than 10 times the current ADF demand.”

Both projects are part of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.

They also form part of the 2024 Australian GWEO Plan – the government’s blueprint to build Defence’s GWEO stocks, strengthen supply chains and support a domestic manufacturing capability.

Mr Conroy said that by producing GMLRS at scale and investing in the development of a capable and resilient Defence industrial base to forge 155mm M795 artillery projectiles, Australia could be more self-reliant and able to accelerate the delivery of capability to the ADF, as well as international partners.

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