WA puts hand up to build Australia’s next military missiles hub
WA could become the third state in Australia to start producing military missiles after the government announced it wanted to establish a weapons centre.
Prime Minister Roger Cook is expected to appeal to defense contractors during the Indian Ocean Defense and Security Conference in Perth this week.
Australia produced its first batch of guided multiple launch rocket systems at a new manufacturing facility in Port Wakefield, South Australia, earlier this year.
Before the center was built, Australia did not have the capacity to build its own missiles. A second center is being built in Newcastle, New South Wales and is expected to be operational by mid-2027.
As part of its $21 billion Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance plan, Defense Australia has committed to producing 4000 missiles a year by 2029 to increase its sovereign capability.
Western Australia and the Northern Territory are considered prime locations for the storage and rapid deployment of weapons; WA’s anticipated AUKUS facilities also provide a maintenance center for the reloading and maintenance of maritime strike assets.
People from 12 countries and 250 different companies are expected to attend the Indian Ocean Defense and Security Conference starting Tuesday.
The three-day conference is being held under tight security measures at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
An anti-war protest against the conference is planned for Tuesday afternoon, with Greens WA MLC Sophie McNeill helping to organize the action.
“It’s outrageous that the Cook Labor government is relegating our beautiful little part of the world to being a major cog in the US military war machine,” he said.
“We will make sure these lethal weapons companies know that West Australians do not welcome them here.”
