NIOA was recently honoured as a finalist in the 2018 New Zealand Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry. Presented by the Minister of Defence, NIOA received the Award of Excellence for their role in the delivery of the NZ Defence Sniper Rifle Replacement Project.

NIOA was a finalist in Award Category 2 which recognises the provision of a product to Defence less than $15 million that exemplifies the Defence Industry Strategy Principles underpinned by the development of a gain-gain relationship based on alignment, long-term focus, commitment and trust.

NIOA’s General Manager of Government Business, Patrick Whitty received the award on behalf of NIOA at the annual the NZ Defence Industry Association Forum. “It’s a great honour to be recognised for the hard work and dedication that both the NZDF and NIOA have put into this project. We’re very proud to be delivering this advanced new capability to NZ Defence. I’d like to thank the team at the NZ Defence Capability Branch for their professionalism throughout the process. They are always a pleasure to work with and greatly assisted us in making sure the weapon system and ancillary equipment were fit for purpose”, said Patrick Whitty.

The 2018 Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry were presented by Hon. Ron Mark, Minister of Defence, on the 1st November. The awards were established by the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council (NZDIAC) in 1998 to highlight and reward the contribution made by industry to Defence.

In his closing speech to the forum, Minister of Defence Ron Mark said, “Maintaining a force which is combat capable, flexible, and able to respond to the complex array of challenges we face as a nation will require the support of suppliers who can deliver capabilities which are able to meet these needs.”

“The annual awards are an opportunity to recognise industry’s significant contributions to Defence and, as in previous years, the calibre of nominations was very strong,” said Ron Mark.

In 2016 NIOA took part in an open tender to replace NZDF’s existing sniper rifle with a new .338 Lapua Magnum weapon system and after a very extensive evaluation period, Barrett’s MRAD (Multi Role Adaptive Design) rifle was selected. After demonstrating the capability of the .50BMG Barrett M107A1 it was also subsequently chosen for the anti-materiel rifle role. NIOA worked very closely with several international companies to provide a complete systems solution for both rifles, which included the rifle system itself, optics, ballistic computers and other associated ancillary equipment. This successful bid further strengthened NIOA’s existing relationship with the NZDF as the supply and support provider for their new Personal Protection Weapon, the Glock pistol, which is now currently in service.

NIOA
Established in 1973, NIOA has grown to become Australia’s largest privately-owned supplier of arms and ammunition to the sporting, law enforcement and military markets and prides itself on providing complete system solutions inclusive of through life support to Defence and Law Enforcement customers.

NIOA General Manager of Government Business, Patrick Whitty (left), receives the award from NZ Minister of Defence, Ron Mark.