Thales and Australian Army HQ to jointly research close combat family of weapons.

As announced on December 14 by Thales on its website, Thales and the Australian Army Headquarters have started jointly researching, developing and designing options for the next generation Close Combat Family of Weapons. To support the Army’s emerging requirements, this will include the next-generation close combatant assault rifle, light machine gun and associated ammunition.
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Australian Army soldier Private Anthony West from the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, fires the F89 Light Support Weapon during a platoon attack at Combat Training Centre – Jungle Training Wing, Tully, Queensland (Picture source: Australian army/Pte Brodie Cross)

Supporting the Australian Army’s strategy to establish and maintain a capability edge for the dismounted combat capability, the joint research and development program will focus on new, disruptive technologies to radically advance the relationship between soldiers and small arms, ensuring Australian soldiers are equipped to anticipate and defend against contemporary threats. The research and development program will harness Thales’s existing extensive Australian supply chain, new SMEs, and its network of research organisations.

The project will develop working level prototypes for a Close Combatant Assault Rifle and Light Machine Gun over the next 3 years, while examining all aspects of a weapon system, including the performance and terminal effects of ammunition. Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), through the Lethality System Program, are co-partners in the project and are involved in the governance arrangements for the development activity. The aim is to have both weapon systems ready to compete for the Close Combatant Family of Weapons in Tranche 2 of the Lethality System project (LAND 159) by late 2023.

Thales Australia has recently announced it will double the size of its Small Arms Research & Development team in Lithgow as it anticipates the future technology requirements of a more digitised battlespace for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and maximises the benefit of new manufacturing processes, novel materials and AI.

Colonel Stuart Davies, Director Dismounted Combat Program, Army Headquarters, said : “This is an exciting initiative with one of our existing industry partners. As we seek to evolve the soldier combat system, the lethality component is a critical sub system. There are many challenges to ensure we have a capability edge over current and emerging threats, and the Australian Army welcomes the opportunity to explore some emerging disruptive technologies associated with complete weapon system design.”

Graham Evenden, Director Soldier Weapon Systems, said : “We are committed to maintaining the capability advantage of the Australian Army as rapid advances in digital technology bring increasing threats as well as new capabilities.”