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Norwegian-Finnish defence firm Nammo has won a contract to supply armour-piercing ammunition to the RAAF’s fleet of F-35s.
The deal is considered the first major agreement for the advanced 25mm x 137 APEX PGU-47/U ammunition type, with production due to start in 2025 and deliveries following over the next two years.
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“This contract underscores Nammo’s commitment to innovation and excellence in defence technology,” said Reijo Bragberg, a Nammo executive VP. “Our APEX ammunition is recognised as the most capable aircraft ammunition ever deployed, and its performance against a diverse range of targets sets it apart.
“The contract has been secured with Australia, a partner in the F-35A program, which has consistently demonstrated strong support for the APEX ammunition since its inception.”
Nammo’s APEX ammunition provides several benefits, including multi-role capability by combining armour piercing and explosive effects in a single round. This multi-role feature is also considered effective against a wide variety of ground and air targets, including armoured, semi-armoured and light targets.
The ammunition also uses a tungsten carbide penetrator for armour-piercing capability and an explosive-filled warhead with delayed initiation, delivering blast, fragmentation and incendiary effects inside the target.
It comes after Australian Aviation reported in December that the RAAF had received the last of its 72 F-35s from manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
The planes landed at RAAF Base Williamtown between November and December as part of Operation Lightning Ferry.
According to Defence, the EA-18G Growler and F/A-18F Super Hornets are “the cornerstone of Australia’s air defence and strike capability, as outlined in the 2024 National Defence Strategy.”
“As a multi-role fighter, the F-35A can perform air-to-air and air-to-surface missions, and utilise stealth technology, electronic protection, electronic attack and advanced countermeasures to maximise lethality and survivability,” Defence said in a press release.
The first two F-35As arrived in Australia on 10 December 2018, and these final nine are the first to receive the Technology Refresh-3 package, which includes additional munitions capabilities, target recognition, jamming, cyber security, sensor and user interface improvements, processing and data storage enhancements.
