Release of the Australian Guided Weapons & Explosive Ordnance Plan
30 October 24
The Albanese Government has unveiled its blueprint to rapidly deliver missile manufacturing in Australia and accelerate the acquisition of long‑range strike over the next decade.
The 2024 Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Plan demonstrates the Government’s commitment to sovereign manufacturing capability and keeping Australians safe. Enhancing our strike capability and preparedness was one of Albanese Government’s initial six priorities in response to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, and is a priority under the 2024 National Defence Strategy and the 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy.
The GWEO Plan provides certainty to Australian Defence industry on its role to boost the domestic manufacture of missiles and munitions and support the uplift of GWEO stockpiles in Australia.
The Government has backed this priority with $16–$21 billion of investment over the decade, representing five per cent of the Integrated Investment Program.
Taking into account investments in targeting and long-range strike, as well as missile defence, the Government has committed $58-$74 billion in the Integrated Investment Program over the decade towards capabilities that integrate with GWEO and contribute directly to enhancing our strike capabilities.
The Government has already announced key capability investments set out in the 2024 Australian GWEO Plan, including:
- $850 million in partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia to manufacture and maintain the Naval Strike Missile and the Joint Strike Missile from 2027 at a new facility to be built at Williamtown, near Newcastle;
- $37.4 million in partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia to enable an initial batch of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) missiles to be manufactured in Australia from 2025;
- $7 billion agreement with the United States to acquire the Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC (SM-2 IIIC) and Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) long-range missiles;
- $142 million for the accelerated acquisition of the Joint Strike Missile, to be delivered from 2025;
- up to $60 million over five years to develop hypersonic and long-range strike capabilities; and
- $22 million over three years to seek options from industry to establish a manufacturing complex for the production of rocket motors in Australia.
Today, the Government has announced its commitment to an Australian facility, in partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia, to manufacture GMLRS missiles.
Site assessments for the new Australian facility are underway, with the facility to be operational by 2029. It will have the ability to manufacture a range of weapons and contribute production capacity to our trusted partners in the region and beyond.
Defence is continuing to work with industry and international partners to strengthen Australia’s munitions stockpiles and the industrial base for domestic manufacture of guided weapons and explosive ordnance.
Today’s announcement is another example of the Albanese Government delivering a future made in Australia, delivering jobs and security for Australians.
Source: Defence Press Release