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NIOA and T-Worx Holdings have signed a distribution agreement for the supply, integration and support of T-Worx products in Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement is expected to provide end users and technology developers access to the weapon system digitisation and networking technology, designed to enable dismounted weapon systems and ancillary devices to become sensor and effector nodes within the battlefield network.
According to NIOA CEO Robert Nioa, the inclusion of the T-Worx Intelligent Rail within the US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon program is a clear signal of the direction of the small arms evolution.
"NIOA is proud to support T-Worx weapon digitisation products and technologies in support of next generation small arms and ‘Smart Rail’ compatible product developments,” he said.
Founded in regional Queensland in 1973, NIOA is the largest Australian owned weapons and munitions prime contractor. The company is investing $130 million in domestic munitions and explosives manufacturing over the next five years.
As part of its committment to the development of Australian sovereign capability, NIOA's new partnership is tipped to bring T-Worx Intelligent Rail technology to the Australian and New Zealand defence markets.
According to Rick Sterrett, T-Worx CEO, the partnership with NIOA aimed to support the "digital rifle" efforts in Australia and New Zealand.
“Our team developed the Intelligent Rail (also referred to as the ‘Picatinny Smart Rail’) over the last 13 years for the US defence market, as well as for NATO, and the Smart Rail capability is now a requirement on the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program,” Sterrett added.
“The power and data capability inherent in the Intelligent Rail makes small arms weapons ‘smart’, and allows these platforms to provide critical data to the soldier, squad and the battlefield commander.”
[Related: Northrop Grumman to ramp up delivery of LAIRCM system]
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