Craig International Ballistics personnel prepare body armour bound for the Australian Defence Force, in Queensland. Credit: Jen Dainer/Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence.

The Australian Government has placed a new A$30m ($17m) order with Craig International Ballistics (CIB) to purchase additional body armour for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). 

The investment in this Queensland-based company is aimed at sustaining local employment opportunities by creating several jobs, while also highlighting the government’s efforts to support Australian small-and-medium enterprises. 

The new body armour systems are set to bolster the ADF’s capabilities in a wide range of combat and counter-terrorism missions.  

As part of the latest award, CIB will produce and supply body armour components designed to shield personnel from various moving threats, including fragmentation as well as both low and high velocity rounds.  

Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said: “From peacekeeping operations through to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Craig International Ballistics has been protecting Australian Defence Force personnel with their world-class body armour for almost two decades. 

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“This order with Craig International Ballistics is a prime example under the Defence Industry Development Strategy of how the Government is supporting our Sovereign Defence Industrial Base and a future made in Australia. 

“Craig International Ballistics is a model for our nation’s robust, self-starting defence industry, which is an important part of our sovereign defence capability.” 

Since the late 1990s, Craig International Ballistics has been engaged in delivering combat-proven equipment to the ADF.  

CIB said that all its products have consistently met the demands of on-time and on-budget delivery, contributing to the safety of Australian troops for nearly two decades. 

The company’s relationship with the ADF began with the development of body armour for operations in East Timor.  

To date, CIB said it has supplied more than 600,000 Queensland-made body armour components to the ADF.  

In addition to body armour, CIB also manufactures armoured Cash in Transit Vehicles and distributes bullet-resistant glass from American Glass Products, further diversifying its defence and security offerings. 

In May 2020, CIB secured an initial A$1m contract to supply 750 soft armour inserts to the ADF.