The NIOA Group has announced its expansion into the United Kingdom reinforcing its commitment to strengthen allied defence industry ties. Group CEO Robert Nioa made the announcement during a speech at the Australian British Chamber of Commerce Defence Catalyst dinner in London. The three-day Australian British Defence Catalyst (ABDC) brings together high-level stakeholders from the UK and Australia including defence ministers, defence primes, military leaders and academia to discuss capability development through innovation and collaboration.
Conference keynote speakers include Australian High Commissioner, former Australian Defence Minister and co-author of Australia’s Defence Strategic Review Stephen Smith and the new head of the British Army General Sir Roly Walker.
The NIOA UK office, set to open at Abbey Wood in Bristol, will serve as a hub for NIOA to work more closely with existing British industry partners while also exploring emerging munitions manufacturing and military supply opportunities.
Nioa said establishing an office in the UK was a logical next step for the company given the trilateral AUKUS security pact. “As a company we are committed to operationalising the industrial collaboration envisaged by our collective governments under the AUKUS agreement…and it’s not AUKUS without the UK,” Nioa told the audience. “From an AUKUS technology exchange perspective this completes our Australia, UK, US network. Our first engineers are on site, albeit in temporary desks while we get our building fit-out finalised. Our intention is for this office building to also act as our European headquarters in support of all of the different NIOA Group businesses. We will be looking to build close relationships and support Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) in their objectives and also build close connections with other UK businesses for both UK and International focussed efforts.”
NIOA’s UK move marks another milestone in the Australian-owned company’s international expansion following the opening of an office last month at the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey and the 2023 acquisition of Barrett Firearms in Tennessee, USA.
Nioa highlighted the deep UK-Australian military links while emphasising the urgent strategic importance of AUKUS against a backdrop of “profound” geo-political challenges. “While AUKUS pillar 1 and 2 are rightfully front of mind for all of us at this catalyst, they are simply a continuation of the long journey of defence industrial cooperation that our two countries have been on now for more than 100 years,” he said. “AUKUS is becoming more urgent. Our democracies face a profound challenge. AUKUS can be the vehicle that turbo-charges industry to deliver more military capability, more quickly into the hands of our war fighters… and AUKUS at its core, is all about industrial capability. Governments set the AUKUS design. It is industry’s job to deliver AUKUS success.”
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