Supporting the Future Soldier: Sovereign small arms manufacturing, with Matthew Duquemin from Thales and Alexander Knott from Wedgetail Industries

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Matthew Duquemin, director, integrated weapons and sensors at Thales, and Alexander Knott, director of Wedgetail Industries, discuss the development of Australia’s sovereign small arms design and manufacturing capability. 

Topics discussed in this podcast include: 

• The history of small arms manufacturing from the Lithgow Arms facility in NSW.
• Thales’ recent work delivering next-generation capability to the Australian Defence Force.
• Thales’ partnership with Wedgetail Industries, aimed at developing new sovereign solutions for warfighters. 
• Drivers of innovation in the small arms manufacturing space.
• Modifications to small arms in response to changing warfighting requirements.