Western Australia selects five proponents for defence manufacturing hub

The Western Australian Government has identified five preferred proponents for the Western Defence Forge, a proposed manufacturing hub designed to expand advanced manufacturing, attract investment, and create local jobs. The selected companies—Babcock Australasia, OQ Technology and AROSE, Thales Australia, NIOA, and Honeywell—will progress toward signing memorandums of understanding with the state government to collaborate on workforce development and supply chain opportunities.

Thales Australia is among the prospective anchor tenants and intends to use the facility to produce 155mm artillery munitions and assemble missiles. The project aims to leverage Western Australia’s strategic location as a gateway to the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia to support global rearmament initiatives and allied supply chains.

The initiative seeks to capture economic opportunities linked to the AUKUS program and strengthen Australia’s sovereign capability in guided weapons and explosive ordnance (GWEO). The selection process involved 179 submissions, including 41 from international operators.