Defence in brief: ARES Armaments and Aimpoint partner for Australian growth

ARES Armaments Australia and Aimpoint have announced a partnership that aims to grow South Australia’s defence industry by developing workforce skills and training, according to an 8th April press release. 

The agreement was signed during the Avalon Airshow and together the companies will work to establish Australia’s first nationally endorsed training course for the Certificate IV in Explosive Ordnance Manufacture through Aimpoint’s RTO accreditation. This will enable an Australian workforce to be trained in explosives production, contributing to the Australian government’s goal of producing more of its ordnance and guided weapons domestically, the press release states. 

“The first-of-its-kind partnership will ensure ARES can deliver a truly sovereign GWEO (guided weapons explosive ordnance) capability – not years into the future, but within the next 12 months,” Jason Murray, CEO of ARES said.

Aimpoint will provide training programmes as the two companies work to establish an apprenticeship programme and build links with veterans from the Australian Defence Forces to grow the defence industrial skill base in Australia. Other elements of the cooperation include development of recruitment strategies and coordination on facility access for training. ARES Armaments was stood up early in 2024 to address the zero sovereign manufacturing capability in Australia for nonstandard ammunition natures for Law Enforcement and Defence clients, the company plans to start building an explosives factory in South Australia towards the end of 2025. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on 9th April 2025.