#NIOA is #Australia’s largest privately owned #weapons and #munitions company, found in 1973 by Robert Nioa, who remains the company’s CEO. NIOA primarily supplies the #Australian #military and #police forces – they are the majority supplier of #guns and #ammunition to the Australian police. According to their website, by 2022 the company had supplied “Over one billion rounds have been supplied by NIOA to the Australian Law Enforcement, Military and Sporting markets”.
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NIOA plays a key role in supplying the Australian military through the “LAND 159 Lethality System Project”, an upgrade programme which sets out to “equip the ADF with next-generation weapon systems, surveillance and target acquisitions ancillaries, ammunitions, facilities and training and support systems”. NIOA is the prime contractor for stage 1 of the project, covering sniper rifles, laser sighting systems and close combat weapons (including knives, pistols, shotguns and assault breach systems). The contract is worth A$527.2 million.
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In 2017 NIOA transitioned from the commercial gun market into supplying military and law enforcement, with a contract to supply the police in Australia and #NewZealand with 70,000 Glock pistols. NIOA supplies Australian armed forces, such as the Northern Territory of Australia (having signed a three year contract worth A$857,623.97 in 2021) and the Victoria Police (with a three year contract to supply 22 different types of ammunition from a range of companies).
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NIOA has a close relationship with a number of prominent Australian #politicians. For example, in January 2018 the then-Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne announced the award of a $100 million Federal government contract by the Commonwealth under the LAND 17-1C.2 Future Artillery Ammunition program. In 2020 Pyne was welcomed as the chairman of the company’s inaugural advisory board. Other examples include Kim Beasely (former leader of the Australian Labor Party) and Brendan Nelson (former leader of the Liberal Party) have taken up lucrative leadership positions at NIOA after their #political careers. Scott Morrison was also photographed holding a large ammunition shell at the Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions factory in 2021.
Tagging @Clarice Boomshakalaka Bouvier @clarice again as well, please feel free to share with others if you would like to do so.
