Australia has tested its first domestically-built Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles at a live-fire demonstration at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia.
GMLRS is a surface-to-surface projectile that uses inertial guidance to strike targets with precision at ranges of over 70 kilometers (43 miles).
The event is part of an initiative to further expand the capability of the weapon’s local manufacturing network, the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO) Group, headed by Lockheed Martin Australia.
Evaluations were conducted by the Woodside-based 14th Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, a surface-to-surface strike unit under the Australian Army’s 10th Brigade long-range fires segment, using an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Data collected from the assessment will validate the GMLRS as it prepares for a full certification flight test scheduled next year.
Results will also support local assembly for Australia’s future munitions, including the Precision Strike Missile and other hypersonic ordnance.
Canberra said that the milestone serves as the third live-fire of the military’s HIMARS since its admittance in March 2025.
“Making missiles in Australia is central to Australia’s national defence resilience,” Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy commented.
“This successful test-firing is a major milestone for Australia’s sovereign guided weapons capability, demonstrating concrete progress in strengthening our national self‑reliance and delivering a defence future made in Australia.”
‘Outstanding Partnership’
The evaluation follows Lockheed Martin’s launch of a dedicated production center for the Australian GMLRS missiles in Port Wakefield last December.
Opportunities at that site are expected to ramp up as production for the weapon continues, growing the Oceanian country’s defense industrial base and the MLRS munitions family’s international supply chain.
“We have worked closely with Defence to … produce the first GMLRS outside the United States — all within two years,” said Jeremy King, CEO of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand.
“This speed to capability aligns with the Government’s GWEO objectives and is a testament to the outstanding collaborative work of the Australian team and our US colleagues.”
