Singapore and Gilmore Space Technologies
Adam Gilmour (above) CEO, Co-Founder of Gilmour Space Technologies with ERIS Block 1, Australia's dual-use capable rocket. ERIS has the classic ICBM size and shape (eg. like a Minuteman III) especially in tonnage at launch. The shape also includes ERIS not having strap-on boosters that would impede each Eris being placed in ICBM silos. (Photo Gilmour Space via Byron Bay's The Echo, March 1, 2024).
Adam Gilmour lived in Singapore for many years and initially established a presence there alongside Australia in 2012. [1, 2, 3] Early Support: The company received an early non-equity government grant from Singapore’s National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) for 3D-printed rocket fuel research. [1]See Forbes' article of October 27, 2017 "Why an Australian Space Entrepreneur Chose Tiny Singapore to Build a Rocket Factory"
[As at 2017 - Adam Gilmour an Australian entrepreneur has chosen Singapore as his base to build his own space startup and carve out a niche of his own...[Adam Gilmour's] rocket factory was located near Changi airport in Singapore,...he [Gilmour] ran an open-plan facility buzzing with activity and packed with futuristic-looking prototypes...his engineers were busy testing a new 3-D printer, which makes rocket fuel in record time. ...“We are working on low-cost small satellite launch vehicles to take satellites with masses up to 400 kilogram to orbit. This capability is matched by few other providers in the industry and we plan to be the cheapest in the market” he explained.]Perhaps Singapore got cold feet being seemingly involved with a rocket series steadily growing into a potentially aggressive ICBM sized rocket/missile. Also there was insufficient land area in tiny Singapore for safe rocket launch pad facilities or for flight tests. This may have meant the Gilmour Program was encouraged to move to Australia. Australia having large areas to test - including in future the militarised Woomera Rocket Range.
Relocation: Operations and R&D moved entirely to Australia, with its headquarters and manufacturing based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. [1, 2] [2017–Present: While core manufacturing and R&D shifted firmly to Queensland, Australia (with headquarters in Yatala/Gold Coast) the company maintained strategic technological collaborations and R&D links in Singapore before Gilmour Space fully scaled as an Australian sovereign launch provider.] ---------------------------------
Australia has since the 2000s been revisiting nuclear deterrence weapon options, including long range strike platforms. ICBMs based in central Australia could hit Beijing. The dual use Eris 1 rocket at 23m tall and total 34 tonnes mass at liftoff is more than coincidently the size of a US Minuteman III ICBM at 18.3m and total 36 tonnes.
Missile carrying nuclear powered submarines (particularly versatile Virginia Block V and VI - SSGNs) could also hit Beijing and/or Shanghai with SLBMs or SL(Hypersonic)HMs.
Australian Threat
By 2022 an Australian (Aus) bargaining threat to the US was established. Unless the US and/or UK made SSNs available to Aus, Aus could build thermonuclear warheads affixed to "Gilmour" ICBMs. China being the usual potential target.
The US (the aging Biden regime, at least) reacted with AUKUS Pillar 1. The UK (SSN owning junior partner) wanted (or was persuaded) to join this deal. This is, in part, because UK nuclear powered submarine tech and Trident II missile availability to the UK heavily relies on the US.
SILEX makes Australia HEU Capable
The primary stage for an Australian thermonuclear weapon is a fission bomb which Australia could produce using the SILEX process yielding 95% HEU. This would be the trigger for a "secondary" Deuterium–TRITIUM fusion bomb.
Deuterium is extracted by separating heavy water (D₂O) from ordinary water and then isolating the deuterium gas. This is all within Australian scientific-industrial capabilities. Deuterium–TRITIUM fusion (D-T fusion) is a type of nuclear fusion in which one deuterium (2H) nucleus (deuteron) fuses with one tritium (3H) nucleus (triton) giving one helium-4 nucleus.
As a dual-use cover Australia could build CANDU (Canadian Deuterium Uranium) reactors to generate large amounts of electricity (for Aus large cities). This is while simultaneously producing TRITIUM through neutron capture in CANDU reactor's heavy-water moderator and coolant.
A major problem is the US has called Australia's nuclear bomb blackmail bluff with promised SSNs only likely to emerge mid 2040s onwards. So the US remains Australia's extended deterrence nuclear guardian. But could the likes of a Trump, Hegseth or their America First successors ever be trusted to sacrifice San Francisco to protect Sydney from "Shanghai-Beijing's" nuclear capability?
Fortunately/Unfortunately? Australia, having spent $Billions in up front deposits to the US and UK submarine industrial bases, has lost its SSN bargaining power.
This is indicated by Australia's Defence Industry Minister, Pat Conroy's only passing threat in July 2026 where he stated the Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) rotation of US submarines through HMAS Stirling in Western Australia would conclude in 2032 unless what? Delivery of the first US SSN to the RAN in 2032 was implicit. This has led to delayed SSN transfer to Australia. This may be forcing Australia to return to nuclear weapon intentions.
