Thales and Chemring have signed an MoU covering cooperation in the design, development and manufacture of a future range of grenades, which they say will enhance Australia’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority for Munitions and Small Arms research, design, development and manufacture.

The ‘Family of Grenade’ product range will be designed and manufactured at the Commonwealth-owned facilities at Benalla in Victoria and Mulwala in New South Wales, along with Chemring‘s production facility at Lara in Victoria. The integrated product range will include fragmentation, offensive, smoke and training products.

“Thales is delighted to be working with Chemring to meet the future hand grenade requirements of the Australian Defence Force,” Dion Habner, Managing Director of Thales’s Benalla and Mulwala facilities said.

“We are committed to enhancing the technology advantage available to Australian soldiers, this range will provision for through-life upgrade pathways to enable integration of the latest technologies now and in the future. “

This agreement envisages the design and manufacture of a modular hand grenade product range where the battlefield effect can be selected by the user based upon the mission scenario.

Design and development of the product range will focus on the current and future needs of the Australian Defence Force, with the range also being made available for export customers in support of the Australian Government Defence Export Strategy, the companies said.

“This MOU between Chemring Australia and Thales leverages our unique capabilities to deliver effective military pyrotechnic solutions to the warfighter and is a further demonstration of Australian Manufacturers of Explosive Ordnance as a strategic input to capability for the Australian Defence Force,” said Joe Farrah, Chemring Australia Managing Director.