Australia has entered an agreement with German warhead manufacturer TDW to strengthen Canberra’s defense manufacturing and guided weapons capability. On Friday, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy signed a letter of intent with German Minister for Defence Boris Pistorius, enabling the Australian Department of Defence and TDW to collaborate on the manufacturing and maintenance of warheads for the Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile in Australia.
“This Letter of Intent with TDW marks a major step forward in building a Defence Future Made in Australia that will strengthen the Australian Defence Force, grow our resilience and support our partner nations through exports,” Conroy stated. “It advances the Government’s commitment to establish Australia as a leading Indo-Pacific hub for cutting-edge missile manufacturing, placing local businesses at the forefront to enter global supply chains.”
How Is Australia Investing in Domestic Missile Manufacturing?
The TDW partnership builds on Australia’s broader investment strategy to expand domestic defense production.
The Australian government has committed up to $583 million to establish local manufacturing and sustainment capabilities for anti-ship missiles, including up to $94 million for priority components such as warheads.
Australia has also begun domestic production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles and plans to scale output to 4,000 units annually by 2029, supporting supply chain resilience and military readiness.
Will Germany Purchase Counter-Drone and Counter-Space Laser Tech From Australia?
Germany is also exploring collaboration with Australian defense companies on advanced technologies.
Electro Optic Systems recently presented counter-drone and counter-space laser capabilities to German officials, including high-energy laser systems designed to counter unmanned aerial threats and degrade satellite sensors, Australian Defence Magazine reported Friday.
“So far we have established cooperation with the German government. We have sold them remote weapon systems (RWS), the R400 Slinger,” shared EOS CEO Andreas Schwer. “They have donated those systems to Ukraine for protecting missile launching bases around Kiev against drone attacks.”
EOS is also among the firms shortlisted for a potential German program to procure thousands of remote weapon systems.