The RLD Group of companies is better known as the sum of its parts; LightForce, NightForce, Paroo Pastoral Company, EuroOptic Australia, Horus Vision Reticle Systems and the soon to be launched ForceOrdnance businesses. ADM Managing Editor Katherine Ziesing spoke to CEO Monika Leniger-Sherratt about the growth the of the SA-based business and where they’re headed.
The privately owned group of companies has been working in South Australia for over 30 years, with a massive business in the US based on scopes and optics for the commercial market. With close to 100 people on the books in Australia alone, with another 150 spread around the world, the company is now looking at expanding through ForceOrdnance (to be officially launched this month at Land Forces) with an eye to the small arms market.
“To date, our success in defence and law enforcement agencies (globally) has been achieved through our innovative design, stringent specifications, quality standards and our product support program,” Leniger-Sherratt said to ADM. “To this end, we have partnered with a US designer, manufacturer and supplier of small arms systems solutions to some of our NATO and Commonwealth partners.”
While she was hesitant to be drawn on the details of the company at the time of writing, Leniger-Sherratt said “this company is already supplying NZ and UK military and law enforcement agencies and our plan is to further refine the design, based on local defence and law enforcement feedback to integrate into the ultimate small arms systems to our defence and law enforcement personnel”.
“Our point of discrimination is that the manufacture of these systems will occur in SA and will be achieved by drawing on our existing expertise and capabilities along with partnering with another well-known precision manufacturer already supplying to defence in Australia and internationally,” she explained. “The capacity to upgrade products with emerging technology and as requirements are redefined by the agency, along with the ability to provide a faster turn around on service items will be second to none.”
ForceOrdnance, launching at Landforces 2018, is looking at in excess of 48 variants of small arms under its newly formed partnership with the US based company, with many of them to be on show at the trade show; primarily rifles, so AR-10/15 style platforms.
The conference will afford end-users an opportunity to assess which variations that would best suit their needs as future small arms programs come together (see P84 for more on this).
ForceOrdnance currently supplies small arms to several Australian law enforcement agencies and weapon optics to ADF through it’s sister division, Nightforce Optics.
Exports
Given the current enthusiasm for Defence exports, RLD though its various business is well positioned to grow their SA base.
”Currently, we export to around 50 countries, for both our optics and lighting products,” Leniger-Sherratt said to ADM. We have proven success in the design and delivery of our weapons optics into military and law enforcement agencies and previous success in providing IR lighting solutions, also procured by military. Overall, our current export volume is around 30 per cent of our product portfolio. Although Initially the ForceOrdnance division will be primarily focused on the Australia/NZ military and law enforcement agencies, our longer term strategy is to expand into other countries to increase our export focus across the group. “Depending on market conditions, we will be then expanding out to offering those platforms in the Asia-Pacific region in particular. We are confident that Force Ordnance will provide a vehicle for the Group to focus on advanced manufacturing and technology will see our product offerings to defence and law enforcement significantly increase, domestically and globally”.
With this in mind, the company has already reached out the CDIC to look at what programs can help in these efforts. Leniger-Sherratt is acutely aware of the legal framework around Defence exports and has been making sure that the growing company fulfils the stringent requirements in this space.
“We’re seeking acknowledgement and recognition from State and Federal Government and associated agencies that we’re not a small operator,” she said. “We are strategically placing ourselves squarely in the defence space to help the government fulfil their sovereign capability strategy in terms of offering Australian manufactured solutions, with through life support in the small arms solutions, which will ultimately meet the objectives of the government’s Export Strategy.
“I understand that there are no other SME’s offering this type of capability, so we are hoping that, where possible, we are recognised as a business making a significant investment into future projects and the relevant legislative pathways are designed to support smooth business flow. We feel that we are breaking some new ground here.”
The company is commencing manufacturing this month under the guidance and mentorship of its international partner, with a view to refining the design and process over the next 24 months.
“So, we’ve got a fairly short timeframe to get a lot done!”
This article first appeared in the September 2018 edition of ADM.