Australia Celebrates Successful Test of Its First Domestically Assembled GMLRS Rocket
Summary
Australia has successfully test-fired its first locally assembled Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia, marking a significant milestone in the country's push toward sovereign weapons manufacturing capability. The rocket was launched from an M142 HIMARS system, and the achievement was made possible through a Lockheed Martin production facility that opened in Port Wakefield, South Australia, in December 2024. Under a bilateral agreement with the United States signed in March 2024, Australia plans to produce up to 4,000 GMLRS rockets annually — far exceeding its own domestic needs — with exports being a central component of the long-term production strategy. Full-scale production is expected to ramp up in 2026, with Australian manufacturing processes being integrated directly into Lockheed Martin's U.S.-based Camden, Arkansas facility to ensure alignment with American production cycles. Looking further ahead, Australia envisions this GMLRS production capability as a stepping stone toward domestically manufacturing longer-range munitions, including the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and eventually hypersonic weapons, with Canberra investing approximately US$330 million combined toward PrSM partnership and acquisition.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Australia has become the only country outside the United States capable of manufacturing GMLRS missiles, representing a landmark achievement in national defense self-reliance.
- 2. A Lockheed Martin facility in Port Wakefield, South Australia, serves as the production hub, with plans to progressively increase locally built components over time.
- 3. Annual production capacity is targeted at 4,000 GMLRS rockets, significantly exceeding Australia's own requirements and positioning the country as a potential global supplier.
- 4. Australia and the U.S. signed a PrSM cooperative production memorandum in June 2025, with Australia investing roughly US$224 million over ten years to become a full partner in that program.
- 5. The GMLRS program is viewed as a foundational element of Australia's broader Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise, which aims to build a domestic pathway toward producing advanced long-range and hypersonic strike weapons.