In a landmark event, Managing Director of Beretta Australia, Luca Scribani Rossi, has officially signed an agreement with NIOA to supply the Australian Defence Force with a new military capability from Benelli Defense.
Beretta Australia has been awarded a contract by NIOA to supply the Benelli M3A1 Combat Shotgun as part of a series of new weapons systems selected in the first tranche of the Lethality System Project (LAND 159 Tranche 1).
The Benelli M3A1 will provide the Australian Defence Force with a solid and versatile platform that can be used in various roles. The dual-mode allows the shotgun to convert seamlessly between pump and semi-auto operation and is equipped with Benelli’s patented inertia-driven action system. “The selective fire system of the Benelli M3A1 will provide ADF Warfighters with the broadest flexibility across different mission profiles to employ a spectrum of lethal and non-lethal effects using a variety of munitions, from breaching, less lethal and kinetic options”
The Lethality System Project (LAND 159) will equip the ADF with next-generation weapon systems, surveillance and target acquisitions ancillaries, ammunitions, facilities and training and support systems. The Lethality System will ensure ADF ground combatants maintain an advantage over potential adversaries beyond 2030 and will be delivered in three Tranches. Tranche 1 includes the Combat Shotgun System, as part of the Close Combat System (comprising fighting knives, pistols, shotguns and the assault breaching system) and the Sniper System.
Dr Mauro Della Costanza, Head of Sales Benelli Armi S.p.A. Defense Division, said, “end users are looking for combat-proven products, premium quality, reliability and high manufacturing capabilities for state-of-the-art shotguns, and in this category, Benelli comes first.”
In addition to supplying the Australian Defence Force, Benelli has also secured essential Tenders at NATO and Aligned countries in the last few years, including –
- NATO NSPA for Portuguese Army in 2010
- Italian Armed Forces CSSS-Consortium for Safe Soldier System in 2021
- French MOD & Armed Forces in 2022
Beretta Australia will work in partnership with Benelli Defense.
