The Australian Missile Corporation has secured the backing of Europe’s missile manufacturing heavyweight to help it head up a guided weapons enterprise in Australia.

MBDA, which is Europe’s leading designer and producer of missiles for armed forces around the world, joins a growing list of Australian and international businesses to sign up to the AMC.

The expertise of these companies with world-leading insights will be critical to support the Australian Government as it accelerates plans for a sovereign guided weapons enterprise equipped and ready to support the ADF.

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

MBDA, a joint venture between European aerospace leaders Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, supplies the full spectrum of missiles for air, sea and land forces.

Robert Nioa, CEO of NIOA and the Australian Missile Corporation, welcomed the support of MBDA Missile Systems: ‘’MBDA has a pedigree of technological and operational success, providing missiles for each branch of the armed forces. They are trusted partners to the defence community and will bring best-in-industry expertise to ensure that in these initial stages the Australian Missile Corporation is harnessing the very best minds, all working together.’’

Lorenzo Mariani, Executive Group Director, Sales and Business Development for MBDA, said: ‘’MBDA has a strong track record of delivering sovereign guided missile capability to Australia through the government’s Defence Science and Technology Group. Our collaboration with AMC shows our commitment to work with the best of Australian industry in supporting the government’s vision to create a sovereign guided missiles industry on home soil.’’

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.

MBDA is the only European defence group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air).

With a significant presence in five European countries and within the USA, in 2020 MBDA achieved revenue of 3.6 billion euros with an order book of 16.6 billion euros. In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.

MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%).