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SIG and Aquaterro announce landmark agreement for Australia

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Australian owned Aquaterro announces landmark agreement with Sig Sauer and an expansion of it's Melbourne facility (Source supplied)

SIG Sauer and Victoria-based Aquaterro have agreed to manufacture, assemble, upgrade and support small arms platforms and capability systems for the duration of the capability life cycle.

SIG Sauer and Victoria-based Aquaterro have agreed to manufacture, assemble, upgrade and support small arms platforms and capability systems for the duration of the capability life cycle.

This landmark agreement is a demonstration of commitment by both SIG Sauer and Aquaterro to the Australian Defence Force. The ADF will be able to access modular, integrated firearms solutions quickly, delivering small arms overmatch to Australia’s future soldiers, sailors, and airmen. 

In 2017, SIG Sauer was chosen for the highly coveted US Army’s Modular Handgun System with the P320-based M17. This contract, worth US$580 million ($800 million) was awarded to the P320-M17 for its modularity, capability and quality.

In 2018, the P320 X-Carry was selected by the Danish Ministry of Defence as their standard service pistol covering the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations Command, as it outperformed the competition throughout their rigorous and stringent testing process. 

In July 2018, the SIG MCX Virtus Rifle System was awarded the Suppressed Upper Receiver Group (SURG) award by the US Department of Defense for the existing M4A1 Carbine.

The MCX SURG System will upgrade, and optimize military weapons for continuous, suppressed use on the battlefield. SIG is currently competing for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle program, which is intended to replace the M249 Minimi. 

Aquaterro is a leading provider of operational, tactical and safety equipment to government, military and commercial end users in Australia and the Australasian region. Aquaterro is a current contract holder and provider to LAND 125 and LAND 53, and the exclusive provider of systems and life cycle support for SIG small arms integrated weapons to all Australian agencies.

The strategic partnership between SIG and Aquaterro will be further enhanced by Aquaterro’s new purpose-built facility (due to open in Q1 2019) and expanded workforce in south-eastern Melbourne. This expansion enables Aquaterro to offer turn-key, vertically integrated capability solutions for the capability streams sought by LAND 159, LAND 4108, and LAND 1508.