#48 Sovereign Firepower: Building Australia's Munitions Capability | Jason Murray - Part 1

Australia’s security turns on a hard question: do we have the right ammunition, in the right place, at the right time?

In this episode of Intelligence Optimised, host Todd Crowley sits down with Jason Murray, CEO of Ares Armaments Australia, to unpack how sovereign munitions - especially non-standard, mission-specific rounds - can cut exposure to overseas shocks and lift counter-UAS readiness across the Indo-Pacific. Non-standard ammunition is imported, freight can be several times the product cost, and demand from larger theatres can crowd Australia out.

Key points for planners and capability managers:

✔️ Build small-batch specialist lines with low MOQs that switch calibre fast.
✔️ Close supply-chain gaps - primers, propellant, cases - and plan for surge.
✔️ Source local training munitions so police can train more for less.
✔️ Counter-UAS: the ‘Rooster’ round converts existing small arms for greater effect on small drones with lower fall-back risk - vital for urban defence and critical infrastructure.
✔️ Understand how Remote Weapon Stations intersect with ammunition choice.
✔️ Navigate certification: push proven concepts from TRL 6 into TRL 7 with the right backing.
✔️ Collaborate across ADF, policing and allied forces in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland (NT/FNQ); learn from US pathways like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

Strategic takeaways

✔️ Build sovereign munitions capacity for non-standard needs.
✔️ Prioritise supply-chain resilience and domestic inputs.
✔️ Plan counter-UAS at the tactical edge.
✔️ Use small-batch domestic manufacture to shorten lead times and lift readiness.
✔️ Don’t bank on imports during global surges.

References to Thales Australia, EOS Defence and the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

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