NIOA has commenced primary explosives manufacturing at the government-owned contractor-operated (GOCO) munitions facility in Benalla, Victoria. NIOA’s manufacture of primary explosives for the Australian Defence Force’s F1A1 Grenade, in collaboration with Benalla co-tenants Australian Munitions, is an important achievement in assuring ongoing sovereign supply. It marks the expansion of NIOA’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities to provide explosives, components and products to meet ADF requirements for capabilities such as grenades and detonators.
This is a significant step since the primary explosives manufacturing precinct at Benalla transitioned to NIOA in 2024. The NIOA tenancy at Benalla maintains the Commonwealth’s capabilities for the manufacture of primary energetics, pyrotechnics, medium calibre, mortar and tank ammunition, hand grenades, fuzes, primers, along with various laboratory test facilities.
NIOA Australia and New Zealand CEO Ben James said: “NIOA’s production of primary energetics at Benalla is a key milestone in collaboration between NIOA, the Commonwealth, explosive manufacture regulatory bodies and a range of domestic suppliers. “NIOA maintains a deep commitment to work with the Commonwealth in growing safe and scalable primary explosive manufacturing capability to support current and future ADF sovereign munitions requirements. Our ongoing investment in these manufacturing capabilities, along with our integrated approach with co-tenants Australian Munitions, will improve resilience of the ADF’s munitions supply chains.”
NIOA has invested more than $12 million in Benalla where it also operates 30mm Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, 35mm cannon and 120mm Abrams tank ammunition manufacturing capabilities.
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I hope that they’re getting to make primers for ammunition
At the moment they are all imported
Without primers you can’t load ammunition
We haven’t made primers onshore since AFF closed
When I used to import ammunition and primers ADI was flying in primers for small arms
You are correct. Australia also has to import all fuses.
That’s fantastic news But why won’t our gutless UN arse licking politicians To rebuild our Manufacturing industry. We don’t have enough tradesman to support say Manufacturing a tank in a war time conflict. Without the millions of other parts and Assemblies needed to be made
We need the Government to buy 1000s high end CNC machines and store them to the war starts They can sell them after 20 years and get more money back