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Defence technology firm Kongsberg has won an $850 million contract to build a factory in Newcastle that will produce long-range F-35 missiles.
The facility, situated within the city’s airport precinct, will be one of only two in the world capable of producing Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM).
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JSMs are designed to be fired from fifth-generation F-35s and are significantly able to change course in flight. They differ from more regular missiles because they can fly at low altitudes where they can evade radars.
Raytheon, JSM’s co-manufacturer, has said the weapons have a range of 275 kilometres and are the only fifth-generation cruise missile designed to be launched from the internal weapons bay of the F-35A.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said, “This is about investing in our advanced, high-tech manufacturing industry and developing our sovereign defence industrial base in areas which have been identified as strategic priorities, which in turn means we can accelerate capability delivery to the ADF.”
In addition, the Albanese government is including Kongsberg Defence Australia as a strategic partner in the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.
The GWEO Enterprise is backed by a commitment of up to $21 billion over the coming decade through the government’s 2024 Integrated Investment Program.
“We cannot deliver the generational uplift in capability outlined in the National Defence Strategy without our industry partners, and we look forward to working with Kongsberg Defence Australia as a GWEO strategic partner,” Minister Conroy said.
The news significantly comes after the federal government ruled out buying the B-21 Raider in favour of purchasing long-range missiles in its Defence Strategic Review last year.
“The review has undertaken detailed discussions in Australia and the United States in relation to the B-21 Raider as a potential capability option for Australia,” the report said.
“In light of our strategic circumstances and the approach to Defence strategy and capability development outlined in this review, we do not consider the B-21 to be a suitable option for consideration for acquisition.”
Unveiled in 2022, the B-21 Raider is the “sequel” to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit and is designed to silently strike deep behind enemy lines with its 9,500-kilometre range and advanced stealth capabilities.
Manufacturer Northrop Grumman said the world had “never seen technology” like it had developed for the bomber, while US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin added it was so advanced that even the most sophisticated air defence systems wouldn’t be able to detect it.
