The government has appointed the head of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise, which will accelerate the establishment of a local long-range guided weapons and munitions manufacturing industry in Australia.
The Defence Strategic Review recommended the appointment of a Senior Officer with the sole responsibility of leading the GWEO Enterprise, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Department of Defence and the Chief of the Australian Defence Force.
The government has announced the appointment of the inaugural Chief of the GWEO Group, Air Vice-Marshal Leon Phillips.
Air Vice-Marshal Phillips, who is currently Head Aerospace Systems, will be promoted to Air Marshal and will commence his new role on 8 May 2023.
“Congratulations to Air Vice-Marshal Phillips on his appointment to this important role, which will oversee the delivery of the ADF’s guided weapons and explosive ordnance requirements," Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy said.
"Air Vice-Marshal Phillips has over 36 years of experience in the Royal Australian Air Force predominantly delivering highly complex aerospace projects and managing their in-service support. He has a strong track record of establishing effective partnerships with defence industry.
"I look forward to working with Air Vice-Marshal Phillips and Australia’s defence industry on delivering critical capabilities we need for our national security.”
On 26 April the government announced it would commit $4.1 billion to acquiring more long-range strike systems and manufacturing longer-range munitions here in Australia, in response to the recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review.
Of this, $2.5 billion will be invested into GWEO to help fund the manufacture of guided weapons and their critical components.