Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy reveals plan for domestic missile industry

Advanced missiles could be built in Australia under a new plan to boost our US alliance “beyond the battlefield”.

Domestic manufacturers will build advanced missiles for Australian and American defence forces in an Albanese government plan to expand the alliance “beyond the battlefield and into the factories”.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy was due to tell defence leaders overnight that Australia had all the “foundational elements” required for a domestic missile industry.

And amid speculation that the US could build Australia’s first nuclear submarines through AUKUS, Mr Conroy was also expected to declare the defence pact needed to deliver an Australian shipyard capable of making nuclear-powered boats.

He flagged that could take until “the end of the process” as the AUKUS partners – also including the UK – sought to grow their “combined industrial capacity … to ensure a timely, ongoing supply of nuclear-powered submarines”.

Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy was due to tell defence leaders overnight that Australia had all the “foundational elements” required for a domestic missile industry. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

According to Mr Conroy, Australia already has a munitions sector producing quality explosives, manufacturers of advanced military sensors, companies producing missile components for existing programs, and the capacity to build rocket motors.

“Bringing these elements together to build advanced missiles is a serious, long-term endeavour that has the rock-solid backing of the Australian government,” Mr Conroy was expected to say.

“It’s good for Australia and it’s good for the United States, because it will build Australia’s guided weapons stores and deliver a trusted second source of critical munitions supply to the United States.”

“We can get this done quickly and efficiently – by pooling our expertise and knowledge, and by making it easier for our respective Defence departments and defence industries to work together.”

Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

In a speech to the G’Day USA defence industry dialogue, Mr Conroy was also expected to say that the AUKUS pact was not “just about submarines”.

“It’s an opportunity to form a world-leading technological coalition,” he was due to say.

Mr Conroy planned to point to torpedoes housed in a Western Australian maintenance facility which could already be used by US submarines to restock their supplies without any extra testing or evaluation.

“This is about identifying where Australian industry can supplement, not supplant, US industrial capacity; to expand our alliance beyond the battlefield and into the factories,” he was due to say.

But he was expected to highlight the need to “break down stubborn barriers” to technology transfers, information sharing and industry integration so that Australia and the US could “work more seamlessly across our sovereign boundaries”.