A new defence partnership will help Australia develop the capacity to produce a “loitering munitions” capability.
Brisbane-based NIOA and US-based AeroVironment announced today that they would partner to work on these systems.
Loitering munitions are a hybrid defence and strike system in which unmanned aerial vehicles fly to a target area, and hover or “loiter” until a target is identified.
NIOA and AeroVironment said in a joint statement that their strategic partnership would “support the introduction into service, sustainment and future growth of advanced loitering munitions capabilities across Australia and New Zealand”.
This will include the “combat-proven” Switchblade family of precision loitering munitions.
NIOA would be positioned as AeroVironment’s local partner for distribution, customer engagement, support and long-term capability development.
NIOA Executive Vice President of Australia and New Zealand Ben James said the partnership combined Australian strategic munitions leadership with world-leading technology.
“The Australian Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Plan identified the acquisition and introduction into service of Switchblade as a key objective,” he said.
“Combining NIOA’s deep expertise in strategic munitions supply, manufacturing and support with AeroVironment’s global leadership in loitering munitions and autonomous systems technology represents a significant win for both the ADF and in the integration of Australian and US industrial bases.”
AeroVironment Vice President International Business Development Justin McFarlin said the operational success of loitering munitions was driving demand for these capabilities around the world, including Australia.
“Through our partnership with NIOA, we are combining AeroVironment’s combat-proven technologies with a trusted Australian defence industry partner to support customers, strengthen sovereign capability outcomes and establish the foundations for long-term growth across the region,” he said.
NIOA Group, established in 1973, is a global firearms, weapons and munitions company with operations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and United Kingdom with a distribution network covering 75 US State Department approved countries.
AeroVironment is a global defence technology company that delivers integrated capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
