France’s Thales will establish Australian manufacturing of 155mm M795 artillery ammunition, used in howitzers, at an Australian government-owned munitions facility in the small Victorian city of Benalla.
It will be the first dedicated forge outside of the US, with production starting in 2028, and the capacity to scale up to produce 100,000 rounds a year.
The war in Ukraine was using 10,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells a day last year, outstripping European production, he said.
“In a world marked by supply chain disruption and strategic fragility, Australia needs not only to acquire more missiles, but to make more here at home,” he said.
In August, Australia said it would jointly manufacture long-range Naval Strike Missiles and Joint Strike Missiles with Norway’s Kongsberg Defence in the city of Newcastle on Australia’s eastern coast, the only site outside of Norway.
Earlier this month, Australia announced a A$7 billion deal with the US to acquire SM-2 IIIC and Raytheon SM-6 long-range missiles for its navy.
Australia’s navy will also have Tomahawk missiles, with a range of 2,500km, by the end of the year, increasing the fleet’s weapons range 10-fold.
