Thales Australia and EXPAL Systems S.A collaborate on sovereign munitions capability
Sydney, Australia, 29 June 2022 - Thales Australia has entered into a collaboration agreement with global defence and security peer, EXPAL Systems S.A. (EXPAL). The new agreement aims to establish Sovereign Capability solutions in Australia for large caliber Naval munitions and fuzes in support of the Australian Defence Force and our allies.
The new agreement will facilitate the technology transfer to Australia of Intellectual Property and support the development of new manufacturing processes that will enable the local production of critical munitions including, 5” Charge Propelling (CP) and high explosives projectiles, as well as advanced fuze solutions.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently utilises 5” naval munitions that are manufactured and supplied separately by both EXPAL in Spain, and Thales in Australia. This new agreement between Expal and Thales will not only provide the RAN greater ‘on demand’, localised access to leading EXPAL-Thales 5” technology, it will also provide greater surety of supply for critical 5” munitions capability.
Expal and Thales have also agreed to an extensive research and development program, providing a roadmap to the Australian Defence Force for 5” munition technology enhancement on current and future RAN platforms including, munitions offering longer range, reduced sensitivity and precision strike capability.
Corry Roberts, Vice President Land, Thales Australia & New Zealand said: “Over the past 12 months we have established significant partnerships with some of the worlds’ preeminent munitions providers including EXPAL, to nurture technology transfer to Australia and establish local production capability of critical munitions. This is a clear demonstration of the company’s long-term commitment to growing and maintaining an enduring, sustainable and resilient sovereign industrial munitions capability for the Australian Defence Force”.
Luis Abad, Vice President Sales, EXPAL said: “We are looking forward to intensifying the cooperation with Thales Australia and provide our Naval Munitions expertise. Our complementary technologies will enhance Royal Australian Navy capabilities and optimize Australian Industrial Capability (AIC).”
For more than 30 years Thales Australia has built a national industrial ecosystem, including over 600 Australian suppliers, to support the delivery of sovereign munitions capability to Australian Defence Force. Demonstrating that maximising technology transfer to Australia on major Defence projects is a significant driver of growth in building Australia’s sovereign industrial capability.
About Thales Australia
Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Thales Australia employs around 3,800 people directly and supports over 2,051 jobs along its Australian supply chain. In 2020 Thales Australia spent $657 million with 1,841 Australia suppliers, of which 82% are SMEs. Since 2018 Thales Australia has spent over $1.9 billion with local Australian businesses.
Thales Australia has a history of patient investment to build advanced in-country capability across manufacturing, critical systems and services. Close collaborative relationships with local customers, Australian SME suppliers and research institutions combined with technology transfer from our global business enables Thales to tailor high-quality solutions for Australian and export markets, generating revenue of $1.6 billion in exports over the past 10 years.
About EXPAL Systems
EXPAL Systems is a global defense and security company. We offer high-end technology products, services and solutions to meet the current and future needs of Air, Land and Sea Armed Forces. We are a trusted ally in over 60 countries adding safety, precision and advanced systems to any mission. EXPAL manages the entire lifecycle of ammunition, from R&D and manufacturing to maintenance and integration services, up to our leading demilitarization solutions.
EXPAL - www.expalsystems.com