ADF to acquire long-range strike weapons, establish GWEO Enterprise

Defence will spend $4.1 billion to acquire more long-range strike systems as well as manufacturing longer-range munitions in Australia, delivering on the priorities of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR).

A key recommendation of the DSR is the need to accelerate and expand the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) acquisition of weapon systems, including land-based maritime strike and long-range missiles. This has led in turn to investments to replenish the ADF’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) stocks and to establish sovereign missile and munition manufacturing facilities in Australia.

Defence will invest $1.6 billion acquiring two principal weapons in particular as Military Off The Shelf (MOTS) purchases:

• additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated battle management and support systems. The acquisition of a first tranche, worth $563 million, was announced earlier this year; these 300km-range weapons are expected to be in service by 2026-27
• acquisition of Precision Strike Missiles (PRISM), which can be launched from HiMARS M142 launchers, to deliver multi-domain strike effects. The US Army has just placed a development orderfor these weapons under the Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) program.

This investment in key capabilities will see the Australian Army’s current strike range for artillery grow from 40 kilometres to in excess of 500 kilometres and will grow the ADF’s ability to strike targets accurately at longer range.

Defence will also invest some $2.5 billion in its planned Guided Weapons & Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise. The DSR states “the ADF must hold sufficient stocks of guided weapons and explosive ordnance (GWEO) and have the ability to manufacture certain lines.”

It adds, “The GWEO Enterprise lacks available financial resources over this decade and lacks the required workforce. It is yet to produce a strategy… the manner in which it was established has inhibited its ability to achieve the stated goals of Government.

“The lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities, the lack of a senior officer with a singular focus on the GWEO Enterprise and the lack of risk acceptance has resulted in little material gain two years after its establishment.

“The immediate focus must be on consolidating ADF GWEO needs, the establishment of a domestic manufacturing capability and the acceleration of foreign military and commercial sales.”

The DSR recommends establishing an authority headed by a senior officer or official whose sole responsibility is delivery and sustainment of the GWEO. This is important enough that the organisation concerned should be analogous to the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force.

Defence’s $2.5 billion investment is intended to fund the manufacture of guided weapons and their critical components to improve Australia’s self-reliance, with concrete, costed plans presented for Government consideration by the mid-2024 to:

• manufacture selected long-range strike missiles and increase local maintenance of air defence missiles
• manufacture other types of munitions, including 155mm artillery ammunition and sea mines

The investment will also fund critical enablers needed to underpin an expanded GWEO Enterprise, including increasing ADF testing and research capabilities and rapidly expanding its storage and distribution network to accommodate a growing GWEO inventory. And it will fund the acquisition of more stocks of guided weapons, supplementing other Defence weapons acquisitions programs.

This will see more than double the investment for GWEO than was previously provisioned.