Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and Dutch defense company Artillerie Inrichtingen Armaments (AIA) plan to produce two IWI firearms at a new factory in the Netherlands, the companies announced on Monday.
Under the planned cooperation, the Dutch company will manufacture and assemble IWI’s Arad 5 rifle and the Negev UX light machine gun. IWI will provide the technology, product expertise and manufacturing know-how.
AIA will set up the Dutch manufacturing operation and the infrastructure to deliver and support the weapons. The companies said the move would lay a foundation for long-term domestic production in the Netherlands.
“A strong Dutch industrial base is fundamental to national security,” said AIA CEO Gerard Zondervan.
Ronen Hamudot, vice chairman of IWI’s parent company, SK Group, said the cooperation would bring his company’s “decades of experience developing and manufacturing weapon platforms for demanding operational environments into a new industrial setting.”
IWI is the main supplier to the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police. The company said its products are used in more than 60 countries.
