NIOA’s American company is open for business in the heart of the US Army’s garrison for armaments development and procurement.

In officially opening the company’s office at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa said the event marked a shared commitment to Australia-US security objectives and defence industry advancement.

“Co-development, co-production and co-sustainment within the allied network starts with co-location,” Mr Nioa said.

“NIOA is committed to expanding its participation in and collaboration with the US defence industrial base to enhance US and allied global security objectives.

“Opening a permanent office at the US Army’s centre for munitions research and technology provides a gateway for us to grow our presence in the US and work more closely with America’s long-standing allies, particular its AUKUS partners in the UK and Australia.

“We are excited about the opportunities this will bring, not only for our company but for the broader goals of our allied defence forces.”

Major-General John T Reim, Commanding General of Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments and Ammunition, joined Mr Nioa, senior Picatinny military officials, NIOA executives and other US defence company executives for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Picatinny Arsenal has a workforce of more than 6000 across key organisations such as Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) and the Combat Capability Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM-AC).

The Picatinny tenancy is a significant step in NIOA’s US growth plan which included the 2023 acquisition of key US Army supplier, Tennessee-based Barrett Firearms, and the recent teaming agreement with California-headquartered Aerojet Rocketdyne.

NIOA also has long-standing relationships with American companies such as General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Winchester through its operation of the Lake City ammunition plant, each of which also have offices at Picatinny.

Earlier this year, leading US defence industry executive Dan Olson was appointed to the NIOA Group’s Advisory Board joining former US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Hon. Ellen Lord.

NIOA’s residence at Picatinny comes as the US Department of Defense reaffirmed its commitment to double down on strengthening defence industrial resilience in the Indo-Pacific.

The “Statement of Principles for Indo-Pacific Defense Industrial Base Collaboration” released by the Pentagon on Friday endorsed action “to expand industrial base capability, capacity, and workforce; increase supply chain resilience; and promote defense innovation”.

About the NIOA Group…

• The NIOA Group includes NIOA Inc [USA], NIOA Australia, NIOA New Zealand, the Australian Missile Corporation, Barrett Firearms [USA)] and joint venture company Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions.
• Established in 1973, NIOA is a global firearms, weapons and munitions company with operations in the USA, Australia and New Zealand with a distribution network covering 75 US State department approved countries.

• NIOA is a major tenant at the Australian government owned, contractor operated (GOCO) munitions facility at Benalla in Victoria where it is currently manufacturing 120mm munitions for the Abrams tank along with 30mm and 35mm cannon ammunition.
• The company is a joint venture partner with Rheinmetall of Germany in the Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions 155mm artillery forging facility in Maryborough, Queensland, delivering key munitions for US allied nations.
• NIOA has a strategic agreement with Aerojet Rocketdyne, a L3Harris Technologies company, to explore the manufacturing of key munitions and components within Australia’s sovereign guided weapons enterprise.

Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General Maj-Gen John Reim and the NIOA Group’s US-based Advisory Board member Ellen Lord assist NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa in cutting the ribbon at the official opening of NIOA’s office at the US Army’s New Jersey base.