Black Sky Aerospace (BSA) has successfully fired an Australian-first training rocket for use by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel as a cheaper alternative to the original missiles that can cost tens of thousands or millions of dollars apiece.
Black Sky Aerospace Chief Executive Officer Blake Nikolic said the locally designed and built practice rockets can be used to teach and qualify trainees on real rockets without having to eat into war stocks.
“Black Sky is accelerating the development of sovereign Australian guided weapons with the successful firing of a training rocket to support systems like the high mobility artillery rocket systems acquired by the Australian Defence Force and allies,” Nikolic said.
“ADF personnel need to experience firing real rockets without the Commonwealth paying the original price tag. Our aim is to provide a product that can help as many people qualify on systems as quickly as possible but at a fraction of the price.”
The firing comes less than a month after the Queensland-based rocket company fired nine guided weapons at their private range in outback Queensland.
Designated the TM-229, the training missile measures 229mm diameter x 4m long and has a maximum range of 15km. The warhead bay is ballasted with non-explosive material.
TM-229 uses Black Sky’s Australian-made solid rocket propellant and is an extension to its sovereign missile development program. Initial trials utilised a reduced power motor proving out logistics, infrastructure and processes, with full capacity trials planned to commence early 2023 from Black Sky’s private launch range in southwest Queensland.
“Black Sky Aerospace is already two and half years into its independent development of sovereign guided weapons, with many milestones already delivered,” Nikolic said.
“If we are to get ahead of the lead-times required for sovereign missile development, companies like Black Sky and our partners need to start work while the Government makes its decisions on next steps for Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance.”