The US State Department has approved a potential $91.2-million sale of precision-guided munitions to Australia.
Canberra will receive 54 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems-Alternate Warhead (GMLRS-AW) rounds, along with telemetry kits, engineering services, and related support.
“The proposed sale will support its goal of improving national and territorial defense, interoperability with US forces, and working to uplift industry as a new source of supply,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin Australia are the principal contractors.
Australia inked a $24-million deal with Lockheed in January 2024 to begin domestic GMLRS missile production by 2025, where the country would assemble components sourced from the US.
The deal was later expanded to include the manufacturing of rocket motors and warheads for the Australian-produced GMLRS munitions, supplied by Thales Australia.
GMLRS-AW
GMLRS munitions have precision strike capabilities against targets in various weather conditions.
It has multiple variants, including the GMLRS-AW and the GMLRS Unitary, which share the same range exceeding 70 kilometers (43 miles), while the GMLRS extended range variant can reach 150 kilometers (93 miles).
The alternate warhead variant carries a 200-pound-class (90 kilograms) fragmentation warhead containing around 160,000 preformed tungsten fragments that minimize the risks associated with unexploded ordnance.
It is compatible with the Australian armed forces’ existing M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and can also be fired from the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
