BAE Systems Delivers Final Nulka Active Missile Decoy System

The final Nulka active missile decoy produced under a contract with BAE Systems Australia has been delivered, Australian ministry announced today.

Australia’s minister for defense industry Christopher Pyne said the final assembly of the decoys was completed at Defence’s Mulwala munitions factory in regional New South Wales.

“Valued at more than $1 billion, the current contract covered the manufacture of over 1400 Nulka decoys, spares and support equipment for the United States Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy,” Pyne said.  

Pyne further added that the acceptance of this final Nulka decoy does not represent the end of the Nulka program nor Australia’s Nulka partnership with the United States.

“The long-term relationships established through this highly successful program will continue with the development of the next generation of Nulka ensuring the jobs of around 100 Australians,” he added.

A decision on the next generation of the Nulka system is expected in 2018.

Nulka is an anti-ship missile defence system, jointly developed by Australia and the United States and manufactured by BAE Systems.  The Nulka development team, led by BAE, includes Lockheed Martin Sippican and Aerojet Rocketdyne, who are responsible for electronic warfare payload and the rocket motor, respectively. Milspec Engineering, Thales Australia and Varley are also included.

“Nulka is a state-of-the-art autonomous hovering rocket decoy that uses sophisticated electronic signals to ‘seduce’ anti-ship missiles away from their targets,” as described by Pyne.  

The missile system is deployed on more than 150 Australian, US and Canadian warships and is Australia’s largest regular defence export program.