Australia is taking further steps toward building an independent missile manufacturing capability, with NIOA and L3Harris Technologies strengthening their partnership to produce rocket motors and warheads domestically. The renewed agreement expands on a 2023 collaboration aimed at establishing sovereign production of critical guided weapons components, including solid propulsion systems and warhead technologies.
The initiative supports Australia’s wider defense industrial strategy under the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) program, which seeks to achieve local manufacturing capability by 2030. Production efforts will concentrate on key elements used in advanced systems such as cruise missiles and air defense interceptors. L3Harris contributes extensive experience in propulsion systems, already supporting multiple U.S. and allied defense programs tied to Australia’s procurement pipeline.
Australia has been accelerating investment in domestic defense manufacturing, with several projects progressing into active production phases. In late 2025, Lockheed Martin Australia opened a facility in South Australia to manufacture Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions—the first time such production has occurred outside the United States. The facility is expected to expand output as the program matures.
This effort forms part of the GWEO enterprise, supported by up to 21 billion Australian dollars in government funding to build a sovereign missile ecosystem and strengthen supply chain resilience. Alongside Lockheed Martin, partnerships with firms such as Raytheon and Kongsberg are helping expand local manufacturing of missile components while ensuring long-term sustainment of allied defense capabilities.
