Lightforce Group company Force Ordnance has grown its presence and influence in the local and international defence and law enforcement sectors with a series of wins that are seeing its parent company’s world-renowned automotive and hunting lights being applied to illuminate the fields of battle and shine a light on crime.
Force Ordnance was established in 2017 to develop Australian sovereign defence capability in the area of small arms and personal protection. As a Lightforce Group company, its weapons manufacturing credentials reside substantially in Ace Precision Rifle Systems (APRS) which has been building premium rifles in Adelaide for more than 10 years. It also brings together the Nightforce Optics and Horus Vision Reticle Systems brands but according to group founder and owner, Dr. Ray Dennis, extending the company’s world leading lighting products to the defence and law enforcement sectors was always going to bear fruit.
“Lightforce has been at the forefront of automotive and hunting lighting for decades and our products are sold on all seven continents because of the innovation and quality they bring,” explained Dr. Dennis.
“Over the past year, we have made significant inroads into defence and law enforcement with our lighting range and in doing so are spearheading an important sub-sector in Australian sovereign defence capability.”
Locally, the Australian Defence Force is currently trialling Lightforce infrared and white light combination HTX2 lights on its AEV patrol vehicles and is also relying on Force Ordnance to deliver customised lighting solutions for ADF specialist vehicles.
Other clients include Australian Customs & Border Protection who have fitted their 41-foot MMI Interceptor boats with Lightforce ML240mm lights, as well as a number of state police agency vehicles that have been fitted with infrared Striker lights.”
Lightforce’s Striker infrared light was developed using the same technology as commercial night-vision goggles and optical gear and offers an adjustable infrared 940nM beam.
Internationally, the company has entered into a trial with the armed forces of the Philippines for the provision of driving lights on military vehicles whilst in the US, several defence and police bodies are shining a brighter light on suspects thanks to the Adelaide-based manufacturer. These include the Maryland Police, the US Marshall Service and the Georgia State Patrol who are all using Lightforce IR lights on their respective patrol and SWAT vehicles. The 1st Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment are also in final testing phase of Lightforce’s 850nM LED Striker for their Stryker Fighting Vehicles and General Dynamics Flier. In this particular instance, Lightforce has demonstrated its bespoke manufacturing prowess by designing an adaptor that can retrofit its LED Striker light onto the 1st Ranger Battalion’s armoured personnel carriers without modifying or changing its existing vehicle harness.
Lightforce Group founder and owner Dr. Ray Dennis said Force Ordnance is as committed as ever to making a major contribution to Australia’s sovereign industrial capability priorities.
“We believe that a partnership with Lightforce through Force Ordnance represents smart and reliable sovereign investment in local design, manufacturing and maintenance capabilities on the part of the ADF, law enforcement and others.”
As a group, Lightforce has more than 250 staff between Australia and the US, with 85 in Australia and the balance in the US (employed by Nightforce and Horus).
“This year we significantly expanded our Australian team to include an extra half dozen electronic and mechatronic engineers and machinists as well as strengthening our business development team,” added Dr. Dennis.
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