Lockheed Martin and Thales Sign Teaming Agreement to Manufacture GMLRS for Australia

17 September 2024

A Guided MLRS is fired from Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS launcher (photo: Lockheed Martin)

CANBERRA  – Lockheed Martin Australia and Thales Australia have signed a Teaming Agreement to explore the opportunities to advance the development and production of Solid Rocket Motors (SRM) for the Australian market.

The purpose of the agreement is to collaborate, qualify and produce Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Solid Rocket Motors and other components in support of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.

The Teaming Agreement production effort will focus on jointly developed tasks to produce an Australian SRM System, as well as to explore supply chain options to establish Australian industrial capability for related components.

GMLRS rocket with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system with a maximum range of 70 km (image: Lockheed Martin)

The collaboration will assess the possibility of future potential design, development, production or co-production of sub-components of the GMLRS missiles, and potentially inform Commonwealth considerations in establishing a resilient GWEO Enterprise that is globally competitive and may include the domestic manufacture of SRMs ranging from simple rockets to large, complex strategic motors.

“Lockheed Martin is already a world-leader in missile systems and sub-systems, and partnerships with experienced, world-class companies like Thales advance our ability to enable the achievement of the Australian Government’s objectives under the GWEO Enterprise,” said Warren McDonald, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand.

Lockheed Martin Australia and Thales have unique and complementary backgrounds and expertise in the manufacture and delivery of 21st Century Security solutions and weapons capabilities. This Teaming Agreement is an opportunity to strengthen the existing partnership between the two companies. In 2021, the companies signed a Teaming Agreement to cooperate in the design, development and production of Lockheed Martin’s Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile – Surface Launch variant, with a specific focus on booster and rocket motor technologies.

Building upon the 2021 teaming agreement, the new agreement will support Lockheed Martin’s identification of Australian supply chain opportunities. This approach intends to support local manufacture of guided weapons and allow Lockheed Martin to further strengthen Australia’s national defence industrial base.

GMLRS ER precision rocket, with a calibre of 227 mm could reach a 150 km target (image: Lockheed Martin)

Thales Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Connolly, said, “This is AUKUS in action. Close collaboration with industry leaders like Lockheed Martin is essential for Australia to domestically manufacture weapon sub-sections and components, which was identified as a priority in the 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy. Thales’ partnership with Lockheed Martin is an important step in developing options for Commonwealth consideration toward an accelerated sovereign GMLRS capability for the Australian Defence Force.”

About Lockheed Martin Australia

Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 1,600 people in Australia working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, Defence and civil sectors. 

About Thales Australia and New Zealand

Thales in Australia and New Zealand is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force across the Land, Sea and Air environment. Thales employs over 4,300 people in Australia, and supports over 2,000 jobs along its Australian supply chain. Since 2020, Thales has managed Defence’s Strategic Domestic Munitions Manufacturing (SDMM) capability, guaranteeing the Australian manufacture and supply of strategic munitions to the Australian Defence Force.

(Lockheed Martin Australia)