A $850 million partnership between the Australian Government and Kongsberg Defence Australia in the Guided Weapons Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) program has been recently announced, to manufacture and service the advanced Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile in the Hunter region.
This significant investment, based at the Astra Aerolab Precinct at Newcastle Airport, marks a major milestone for the local defence manufacturing sector.
The project will see the construction of a state-of-the-art factory in the Newcastle Airport precinct at Williamtown.
Expected to generate over 500 jobs during the construction phase and deliver nearly $100 million in economic benefits to the local area, the factory will become one of only two facilities worldwide capable of producing Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM). The other facility is located in Kongsberg, Norway.
It is expected that 100 full-time jobs will be created in production. Beyond job creation, this new facility is expected to significantly boost productivity and enhance the international competitiveness of the region's defence manufacturing industry.
The project was supported by the specialist Regional Economic Development team, which provides targeted advice and assistance to help businesses establish, grow, and prosper. The team are now collaborating with Kongsberg to support the development and attraction of the company’s future workforce. This work aims to ensure that local and regional communities can fully capitalise on the job opportunities emerging from this transformative project.