Lockheed and Thales team up for Australian LRASM
LRASM in flight. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin and Thales Australia announced on 22 April that they have finalised a teaming agreement to develop sovereign weapons manufacturing capabilities in Australia.
A notable feature of the agreement is a commitment to deliver an Australian guided weapons manufacturing capability to support a sovereign national guided weapons enterprise.
This capability will be derived from the Lockheed Martin Long Range Anti-Ship Missile – Surface Launch (LRASM SL) ‘with a specific focus on booster and rocket motor technologies’, the two companies stated.
Thales and Lockheed Martin added: ‘This teaming agreement will advance the proven and mature LRASM maritime strike capability across further platforms for the next generation of surface and ground launch domains.’
LRASM is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range, Shephard Defence Insight notes.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
-
Japan’s FY2027 budget bets on stand-off systems to offset demographic decline
Japan’s FY2027 defence budget backs stand-off strike, a 17-aircraft MQ-9B buy and a declared bid to lead the world in uncrewed maritime assets, alongside new frigates, submarines and support ships.
-
Russia’s uncrewed boat portfolio hints at future naval demand
Ukrainian intelligence has catalogued more than 20 Russian uncrewed surface vessels, revealing a portfolio weighted towards mine warfare and logistics, with implications for Western naval investment.
-
Ukraine’s new long-range 12m autonomous vessel can deploy other drones
Ukraine’s UForce unveiled the MV11 uncrewed surface vessel, designed to launch and support other naval drones at sea, fuelling debate over the future of autonomous maritime task groups.