Government to establish missile rocket motor manufacturing

The federal government is to back construction of a rocket motor manufacturing facility designed to support Australia’s developing capabilities in guided weapons and missile manufacturing.

The federal government today called for options from industry to establish a manufacturing complex for what it called a ‘sovereign rocket motor programme’ to make rocket motors, backed by an initial investment of $22 million over the next three years.

For many years Australia manufactured rocket motors for the Nulka anti-missile rocket decoy, before prime contractor BAE Systems Australia switched to an overseas supplier.

More recently companies such as Gilmour Space Technologies and Black Sky Aerospace have manufactured their own motors.

However the government made no mention of company names in its call for proposals.

The government also announced $60 million over the next five years to develop the next generation of guided weapon sub-systems and components, such as hypersonic and long-range strike.

This will enable partnerships between industry and Defence and allow the next generation of guided weapon technologies to enter the supply chain of GWEO Strategic Partners.

The investment will also deliver industry-manufactured prototypes of the critical seeker, fuse and warhead sub-systems and aligns with the work being done as part of the Advanced Rocket Motor Technology Demonstrator programme, which has leveraged collaboration from Five Eyes science and technology partners.

The Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy said: “Today’s announcement represents a leap forward for the Australian defence industry and continues to deliver on the Albanese Government’s commitment to providing the ADF with the capabilities it needs to make Australians safer and safeguard our national interests.

“This is another investment in a future made in Australia and the more than 100,000 Australians, including in regional Australia, that are benefiting from the Government’s commitment to grow our sovereign defence industry and sovereign industrial base.

“This program is an endorsement of Australian ingenuity. Making solid rocket motors in Australia will build on Australia’s proud history as a manufacturing nation and contribute to a future made in Australia.”

Rocket motors are a critical component of missiles and required for most guided weapons, including the Lockheed Martin Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS, pictured)) missiles, which will be made in Australia from next year.

It is expected the rocket motor complex will begin production by the end of the decade.

The rocket motor programme is part of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise which is backed by up to $21 billion over the decade through the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.

Picture: Lockheed Martin/Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) missiles to be made in Australia from 2025