Australian-owned defence prime NIOA has signed a strategic agreement with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX), renewing their agreement to explore the manufacture of critical guided weapons components in Australia.

The agreement extends the NIOA-L3Harris collaboration - initially announced in 2023 - to establish a sovereign rocket motor and warhead manufacturing capability in Australia and comes in the face of unprecedented global demand for advanced missile components.

NIOA Group CEO Rob Nioa said: “Contemporary conflict in the Middle East and in parts of Europe have clearly illustrated the extraordinary consumption rates of guided weapons and interceptor missiles.

“With the imminent release of the revised and updated National Defence Strategy, NIOA stands ready with our partner L3Harris to move quickly to establish the sovereign production of rocket motors and warheads to support Australia’s defence objectives and supply chain resilience and contribute to allied production demands.”

Scott Alexander, President of L3Harris’ Missile Propulsion Sector, said: “In a period of generational expansion of the defence industrial base in the US and rising global demand for the solid rocket motors and propulsion systems that power critical defence programs, L3Harris is pleased to renew and extend this teaming agreement with NIOA.

“We look forward to collectively delivering a substantial increase for solid rocket motors and warhead production between the US and Australian defence industrial bases.”

The NIOA-L3Harris partnership aligns with Defence’s goal in the Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS) and AUD $21b Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Plan to stand up a sovereign manufacturing capability by 2030.

The US Department of War recently announced a USD $1b investment in L3Harris in a landmark direct-to-supplier partnership to expand the production of solid rocket motors (SRM) that power the world’s most advanced missiles.

L3Harris manufactures solid rocket motors and warheads for Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and Standard Missile, munitions for which Australia placed Foreign Military Sales (FMS) orders totalling more than AUD $8b in 2024.

L3Harris also manufactures a range of propulsion systems for missile defence interceptors, tactical and air defence programs such as PAC- 3 MSE, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), Javelin, Stinger, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and NULKA.

Launch of an SM-6 Standard Missile Interceptor during a US Navy exercise demonstrating interception of a medium range ballistic missile. L3Harris provides the Mk72 Booster and Mk104 Dual-Thrust Sustainer motors for Standard Missiles.

Photo courtesy: DVIDS

(The appearance of U.S. Department of War visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.)