Article Posted on : - Jun 18, 2010

A File Photo of the F-35 aircraft.

PARIS (BNS): Nammo and Thales Australia Friday signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) at the Eurosatory 2010 for a planned cooperation on the next generation aircraft ammunition.

The LoI was driven by the involvement of Norway and Australia in the F-35 fighter programme and also the need for a new ammunition round capable of meeting all requirements and ensuring lethality against both soft and hard targets.

"This cooperation will create a new platform for ammunition business between two industry leaders. Nammo’s APEX concept is based on more than 20 years of heritage in the aircraft ammunition business with presence on nearly all fighter aircraft of NATO and in the western world. This will give the air forces superior performance both in the air combat role and in the close air support role," Kjell Kringsjå, the Executive Vice president of Nammo’s Medium and Large Caliber Division, was quoted as saying in the Thales news release.

The LoI will include cooperation on the Norwegian ammunition concept, APEX, and a special training round as well as Thales' frangible ammunition round called APFI. The APEX development and qualification effort is currently fully funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Defense and Nammo.

Chris Jenkins, CEO of Thales Australia, said, "I have high expectations for this cooperation. Not only will this create a broader basis for further business development, but it will also pave the way for industrial participation related to the F-35 programme and entry into the aircraft ammunition area," according to the release.