Thales is helping enhance Australia’s rocket motor production capabilities in support of the Albanese government’s National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.
The Defence Science and Technology Group will be key in boosting the effort through its Advanced Rocket Motor Technology Demonstrator program. The initiative seeks to create a skilled workforce capable of supporting the manufacture of military-grade solid rocket motors.
Thales Australia will be the industry lead for the program, extending its expertise in industrial-scale propellant manufacturing. It will also oversee systems engineering frameworks and supply chain management for Australian small to medium enterprises delivering advanced inert rocket motor components.
“Australia’s 2024 NDS and IIP explicitly reference the importance of surety of supply and adequate stockpiles of relevant munitions and how an Australian domestic missile manufacturing capability is critical in enhancing Australia’s self-reliance,” Andrew Hart, group leader of missile and space propulsion in DSTG’s Sensors and Effectors Division and program director of the ARMTD project, said in the latest edition of DST Outlook, DSTG’s official publication.
The Australian government recently selected Thales to be part of the Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Plan to help improve the nation’s domestic capabilities and bolster its defense production capabilities.