Thales Australia’s Lithgow Arms business in regional New South Wales has thrown open its doors – establishing a Small Arms Collaboration and Cooperation Centre (C³) to support and help grow the capabilities of its Australian SME and industrial partners.

The C³, housed inside the Lithgow Arms small arms factory, is designed to break down costly barriers to entry for SMEs and industrial partners by providing ready access to Lithgow Arms resources and equipment, engineering skills and expertise.  Fostering an interest-based learning model, collaborators within the C³  are able to securely share areas of expertise to advance skills, collaborate on research and design, and seek manufacturing support to accelerate sovereign small arms innovation and design in support of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), commercial, and export markets.

Early adopters of the C³ – Southern Cross Small Arms (SCSA), Hosico, A.W. Bell and Wedgetail Industries, are currently working with the Lithgow Arms team to gain support in areas such as prototyping, test and evaluation, qualification, industrialisation and advanced manufacturing – supporting the advancement of their respective product capabilities to pursue programs in domestic commercial and law enforcement, as well as export.

Current projects underway within the C³ include creating 100% Australian made commercial products for sporting shooters and the farming industry.  By leveraging and combining the Australian intellectual property, unique expertise and skills of Lithgow Arms, SCSA, Hosico, A.W. Bell and Wedgetail Industries, the group is able to achieve an increase in Australian industry content to achieve their business objectives.  Work is also being done within the C³ with FN Herstal, to explore Australian manufacture and support of FN Herstal weapon’s systems.

The most notable success story of the C³ is the recent collaboration of Thales Australia, Rheinmetall Defence Australia and SME, A.W. Bell, that led to the successful Australian manufacture of key components for Rheinmetall’s Mk30-2 cannon by Lithgow Arms in support of the Australian Defence Force’s Land 400 program.  A.W. Bell are now applying their class leading casting expertise, working directly with Rheinmetall, to explore an increase in component manufacture for armoured vehicles in Australia.

Following Thales Australia’s recent $6.5 million investment in the first phase of an industrial plan to transform its Lithgow Arms facility in regional New South Wales, the establishment of the C³ is a critical next step in delivering the Lithgow Arms masterplan. The new development will expand the world-leading precision-manufacturing capability of Lithgow Arms to support new sovereign manufacturing partnerships for strategic ADF programs.

Matt Duquemin, Director Integrated Weapons and Sensors, Thales Australia said, “Opening the C³ inside the Lithgow Arms factory is critical in achieving the vision of the Lithgow Arms masterplan and redevelopment.  The future of our business here in Lithgow is not just about building an advanced manufacturing precinct – it’s about growing a sustainable and competitive sovereign industry capability in regional New South Wales to ensure the Australian Defence Force is ready now, future ready.”

Thales Australia’s investment to expand the size and capability of the Lithgow Arms facility, including the recent opening of the C³, is a clear demonstration of the company’s long-term commitment to growing and maintaining an enduring, sustainable and resilient sovereign industrial capability for the Australian Defence Force in regional New South Wales.