Thales to Commence Production of 155mm Artillery Ammo in Australia

Thales announced today it will commence the production of 155mm M795 Artillery Projectiles in Australia in early 2022.

Production in Australia of the 155mm M795 Artillery Projectiles will take place in Benalla, regional Victoria, and will include the filling of steel projectile bodies with high explosive TNT, final assembly and completion of the rigorous quality inspections. The filled projectiles will undergo assessment to ensure they meet Australian Defence Force (ADF) and U.S. military specifications.

The Australian TNT qualification follows announcements made earlier this year between Thales Australia and the U.S. Army’s Development Command Armaments Center1 establishing a sovereign manufacturing capability for 155mm M795 HE projectiles in Australia. These agreements with the U.S. have facilitated the technology transfer to Australia of U.S. Intellectual Property, enabling the manufacture of critical munitions products to support the ADF including substantial work already achieved establishing a sovereign manufacturing capability for BLU-126 and BLU-111 aerial ordnance.

The 100% Australian-made TNT includes toluene supplied by Australian SME Viva Energy located in Geelong, Victoria. After undergoing almost two years of complex test and evaluation by US authorities, Thales’s U.S. qualification attests to the high quality of the product, and provides an alternative source of TNT supply for the United States.