A$94 Million for 251 Units, Delivery by End of 2021
New South Wales-based Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has been awarded a A$94 million (€57.2 million) contract to supply 251 Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) to increase the lethality of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) protected mobility vehicles, the Department of Defence announced on 29 September.
Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds, commented that this investment delivers on the government’s commitment to accelerate capability initiatives stimulating the economy and supporting Australians. “EOS will introduce a new-generation Remote Weapon Station capability to equip the BUSHMASTER and HAWKEI protected mobility vehicles within a battle group [which] will improve targeting, and better protect our ADF personnel while on operations.”
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price added the contract provides stability and continuity for EOS’ local workforce and suppliers. “The project draws on Australian-owned and -developed intellectual property, with more than 80 per cent of the parts sourced through the EOS’ Australian supply chain of more than 140 Australian companies […] This will help to deliver ongoing certainty for the EOS workforce in engineering and support, and certainty for EOS’ national supply chain.”
The contract falls under the Standardisation of Protected Mobility Vehicles Fleet programme within the 2020 Force Structure Plan. Delivery of the new capability is expected to occur from December 2020 to December 2021.