Thales inaugurates towed sonar factory in Australia for Hunter-class frigates
Co-financed by Thales Australia and the Commonwealth of Australia, the Rydalmere site is set to become a link in the sovereign supply chain for sonars embarked on Hunter-class frigates. The group detailed this project in a press release published on October 26, 2026, following the factory's inauguration by Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.
Design, manufacturing, integration and maintenance in Australia
According to the press release, the Rydalmere site, located in Thales Australia's advanced manufacturing complex in Western Sydney, will be the "Australian sovereign centre for the design, manufacturing, integration and maintenance of advanced underwater acoustic systems". The factory is to ensure complete local manufacturing of next-generation towed-array sonar systems intended for submarines and surface combat vessels. It will also produce slender towed arrays for unmanned maritime systems.
These equipment are aimed at both the Australian market and export. The site will also manage local maintenance of acoustic systems. According to the group, this capacity is to extend deployment times for Australian intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and reduce the need for extended maintenance periods at sea.
Pat Conroy stated: "Through this new factory, Australia is strengthening its national security, creating high-value-added jobs and establishing a sovereign centre of excellence for advanced acoustic systems that will support both Australian defence and export opportunities for decades to come."
A 100-metre hall and dozens of direct jobs
The joint investment by Thales Australia and the Commonwealth amounts to several million Australian dollars. The factory is integrated into the group's broader centre of excellence in Australia. Its production hall, 100 metres long, is designed to enable end-to-end manufacturing of towed sonars, which equip submarines, surface vessels and autonomous maritime systems.
The Rydalmere site has worked for the Royal Australian Navy for more than three decades, particularly for Collins-class submarines, in anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. The new factory is expected to create dozens of direct jobs in engineering and advanced manufacturing in Western Sydney over the coming years, as well as indirect jobs among local subcontractors.
Thales employs approximately 4,500 people across 35 sites in Australia and supports over 2,000 jobs in its local supply chain. At group level, Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries and achieved revenue of 22.1 billion euros in 2025.
