The Australian Missile Corporation and Saab Australia have paved the way for a strategic alliance, as Australia looks to establish a high-tech guided weapons industry.

One of the domestic defence industry’s most experienced partners, Saab Australia (Saab) has proven its capabilities over more than three decades. Specialising in the development and integration of command-and-control combat systems and missile solutions, Saab is a proven provider of a sovereign Guided Weapons capability.

The AMC was founded by NIOA – the largest Australian-owned supplier of weapons and munitions to the ADF.

The two companies, along with a clutch of other Australian and global businesses, will collaborate to support the establishment of the sovereign guided missiles enterprise announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this year.

Robert Nioa, CEO of NIOA and the Australian Missile Corporation, welcomed the support of Saab Australia: ‘’We are delighted to welcome Saab Australia into the fold. They are a trusted sovereign prime system integrator and development organisation with a reputation for providing complex, high-technology solutions to the Commonwealth.’’

Andy Keough, Managing Director of Saab Australia, said: ‘’We look forward to working with the AMC team and its collaborators and bringing our engineering expertise to strengthening the nation’s sovereign Guided Weapons capability.’’

NIOA was founded in regional Queensland in 1973 and is the largest Australian-owned weapons and munitions Prime Contractor. Committed to the development of Australian sovereign capability, NIOA is investing $130m in domestic munitions and explosives manufacturing over the next five years, including a $60m artillery shell forging plant in Maryborough Queensland with joint-venture partner Rheinmetall Waffe Munitions, an upgrade of the Commonwealth’s Government-owned Benalla munitions plant in Victoria and an $11m expansion of its Brisbane warehouse and distribution facility.

Saab Australia has been providing innovative solutions to the Australian defence forces since 1987. Employing more than 570 staff, the company develops, delivers and supports major military command and control systems, as well as significant in-service support to the Army and Navy.