Page summary
Guided weapons and explosive ordnance expertise
Victoria is the national leader in the design and manufacture of:
- ammunition
- propellants
- military pyrotechnics.
The state is home to key defence infrastructure with Guided Weapon and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) applications, including:
- munitions manufacture in Benalla (one of only two locations in Australia)
- storage & distribution facilities in Mangalore, HMAS Cerberus & Point Wilson.
Victoria also hosts Explosive Ordnance (EO) test and evaluation capabilities, with Guided Weapons (GW) applications at the Proof and Experimental Establishment in Graytown.
The state’s extensive capabilities mean that it is well placed to supply:
- advanced weapons systems to support major projects
- long-range anti-ship & land strike weapons & extended range surface-to-air missiles for the Commonwealth Government’s Sovereign GWEO Enterprise.
Victoria’s proven guided weapons and explosive ordnance capabilities include:
- missiles & missile decoys
- artillery, cannon & small arms ammunition
- grenades
- improvised electronic device (IED) countermeasures
- pyrotechnics.
Industry Leaders
Victoria is home to several leading companies with GWEO-related capabilities:
Thales Australia is the largest supplier of explosive ordnance to the Australian Defence Force. The company’s Benalla facility in conjunction with Mulwala produces a wide range of ammunition, explosive ordnance and other munitions.
Find out more about Thales Australia.
NIOA operates at the Commonwealth-owned facility in Benalla. It manufactures a range of munitions for the Australian Defence Force and for export. The Rheinmetall-NIOA Munitions joint venture is producing ammunition for the F-35 programme in Benalla.
Find out more about NIOA.
BAE Systems Australia has a Melbourne-based aerospace facility where it designs advanced naval air defence systems like the Nulka Active Missile Decoy and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile System. Both are major export success stories.
The Nulka Active Missile Decoy is the most sophisticated defence system against anti-ship missiles available for the protection of surface warships. It is currently deployed on more than 150 Australian, American and Canadian warships.
Find out more about BAE Systems Australia.
Aquaterro is a key supplier of operational, tactical and protective equipment to the Australian Defence Force. It operates a 100-metre-long indoor firing range at its facility in Pakenham and is the only such private facility in Australia.
Find out more about Aquaterro.
Chemring Australia manufactures and supplies a range of air and sea-launched countermeasures including:
- specialised military pyrotechnics
- pyrotechnic countermeasures
- special purpose devices.
The company also develops systems in electronic warfare, counter-improvised explosive devices and explosive ordnance disposal. It undertakes research and development tasks for the Defence Science and Technology Group.
Find out more about Chemring.
Page last updated 18 Apr 2023