Astor Defence has secured the Business Expansion award in the Military Packaging & Energetics category at the 2025 Army Technology Excellence Awards, celebrating its remarkable growth, strategic partnerships, and advancements in military packaging and energetic materials. The Army Technology Excellence Awards, powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, recognize the most significant achievements and innovations in the defence industry, providing a platform to honour the people and companies driving change.
Astor Defence’s business trajectory over the past several years has been marked by a dramatic increase in scale and influence. The company’s annual revenues have soared from $5 million to over $500 million, reflecting increased demand for its products and a deliberate approach to market expansion. This growth has been achieved by targeting both established and emerging markets, and by adapting to the evolving needs of military clients worldwide. The company’s dual focus on military packaging and energetics has enabled it to serve a broad spectrum of defence requirements.
Astor Defence’s ability to deliver specialised packaging solutions for military equipment and supplies has positioned it as a reliable partner for armed forces seeking to enhance logistics and operational readiness. Simultaneously, its expansion into the energetics sector—supplying critical materials such as TNT, RDX, and C4—has allowed the company to address the increasing global demand for high-quality, compliant energetic materials. This combination of expertise has contributed to Astor Defence’s reputation as a versatile supplier within the defence industry.
A key driver of Astor Defence’s recent expansion has been its success in securing major supply agreements and attracting significant investment. The exclusive multi-year supply agreement with the Government of Vietnam, valued at over $2 billion, stands out as a landmark achievement. This contract underscores the company’s capacity to deliver large volumes of energetic materials and highlights its ability to meet stringent international standards, including compliance with MIL-DTL-248 for military-grade TNT.
In addition to the Vietnam agreement, Astor Defence has established substantial partnerships with prominent defence organisations such as BAE Systems and Nammo. These collaborations have resulted in significant orders for energetic products and further integrated the company into the global defence supply chain. The company’s ability to secure such agreements demonstrates its credibility and reliability as a supplier of both packaging and energetics.
Further validating Astor Defence’s growth prospects, a major US defence supplier has acquired a 25% stake in the company. This investment indicates industry confidence in Astor Defence’s business model and future direction. The involvement of a leading defence player not only brings additional resources but also strengthens the company’s position in the competitive defence market.
Ongoing investments in infrastructure and quality assurance reflect Astor Defence’s commitment to operational excellence. The company is set to open a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facility in Florida, designed to support advanced manufacturing processes and rigorous testing protocols. This expansion positions the company to respond more effectively to the needs of North American and allied defence customers.
One of the most notable achievements in the past year has been the qualification of Astor Defence’s TNT by the US Army at Picatinny Arsenal. This approval places the company among a select group of suppliers worldwide and is a testament to the quality and reliability of its energetic materials. Such recognition is not easily attained and reflects the company’s adherence to the highest industry standards. The qualification is expected to open new opportunities for Astor Defence within the US defence market and among allied nations.
Through these operational advancements and industry recognitions, Astor Defence has reinforced its commitment to delivering dependable, high-quality solutions in both military packaging and energetics. The company’s experience and expertise within the defence industry date back to 1942 and World War II, when the Royal Ordnance factories supplied the British Army with both weapons and military equipment. Since then, Astor Defence has been designing, manufacturing, and testing packaging, storage, and transit solutions for a diverse range of high-value weapons, explosive and military components, and other high-value, sensitive equipment.
Astor Defence operates a 200,000-square-foot factory with five production lines capable of producing over 150,000 ammunition boxes every month. The new 32,000-square-metre facility on the South Coast of England includes a fully automated, state-of-the-art zinc phosphate powder coating and paint line, together with all in-house environmental, laboratory, and destructive testing facilities. This ensures that all products are manufactured and tested in accordance with the required military specifications.
The company’s superior knowledge of the quality procedures required by the defence industry, both for Europe and the USA, means that its products have passed rigorous testing procedures and strict quality protocols, all carried out in-house. Furthermore, Astor Defence holds stock of its main product lines, enabling it to offer short lead times to meet urgent operational requirements, which is becoming vital in today’s uncertain times.
Innovation and excellence are at the heart of the company’s eth