NIOA has reached a new distribution agreement with JUNGHANS Defence to supply next-generation fuzes for the Australian Army’s 155mm munitions.

JUNGHANS manufactures fuzes for the Rheinmetall Assegai projectiles which NIOA has been supplying for the Army’s M777A2 Lightweight Towed Howitzer guns under its LAND17-1C2 Future Artillery Ammunition (FAA) contract.

The new deal, announced at the Land Forces 2022 International Defence Exposition in Brisbane, encompasses fuzes for the Assegai 155mm family, Diehl 5” naval munitions as well as some US 81mm mortars (smoke and illum).

Back in 2017, NIOA succeeded in teaming with JUNGHANS Microtec GmbH, Nitrochemie Aschau GmbH and Rheinmetall Denel Munitions to win the contract to deliver the Assegai ammunition.

The Assegai fleet includes conventional HE, Insensitive Munition High Explosive (IHE), IHE Pre-Fragmented (PFF), screening smoke, illumination (infrared and visual) and Extended Range Velocity Enhance (V-LAP), practice and inert projectiles.

NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa said: “We are pleased to announce today the renewal of our relationship with JUNGHANS.

“JUNGHANS has been integral to the FAA project and it’s great to have them on board again.

“We share a common goal to provide our warfighters with the technology that delivers optimum performance, reliability and safety on the battlefield.”

JUNGHANS Defence CEO Dr. Kim Eduard Lioe said: “We are delighted to be working once again with NIOA in support of the FAA project. This Agreement will unite the strengths of both our businesses and will facilitate optimized supply solutions for state-of-the-art artillery fuzing systems.”

The FAA Assegai projectiles are able to be manufactured in Australia at the newly commissioned Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions forge in Maryborough, Queensland.

NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa, left, and JUNGHANS Defence CEO Dr. Kim Eduard Lioe at LandForces 2022.