Astor Defence has won the Business Expansion award in the Military Packaging & Energetics category in the 2025 Army Technology Excellence Awards for scaling its operations, establishing strategic partnerships, and advancing its capabilities in both military packaging and energetic materials. 

The Army Technology Excellence Awards celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations in the defense industry. Powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, the program provides a platform to recognize the people and companies that are driving change in the industry. 

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Significant revenue growth and market positioning 

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 grown from $5 million to over $500 million, a transformation that reflects not only increased demand for its products but also a deliberate and effective 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 defense requirements. Astor Defence’s ability to deliver specialized packaging solutions for military equipment and supplies has positioned it as a reliable partner for armed forces seeking to enhance logistics and operational readiness. At the same time, 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 defense industry. 

Strategic agreements and investment drive expansion 

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 not only underscores the company’s capacity to deliver large volumes of energetic materials but also 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 defense organizations such as BAE Systems and Nammo. These collaborations have resulted in significant orders for energetic products and have further integrated the company into the global defense 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 defense supplier has acquired a 25% stake in the company. The investment clearly indicates industry confidence in Astor Defence’s business model and future direction. The involvement of a leading defense player not only brings additional resources but also strengthens the company’s position in the competitive defense market. 

Operational developments and industry recognition 

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. It will help Astor Defence to meet both current and future demand for its products. The expansion of operational capacity in the United States also positions the company to respond more effectively to the needs of North American and allied defense 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, which places the company among a select group of suppliers worldwide, 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 defense 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. 

Company Profile 

Astor Defence Ltd’s experience and expertise within the Defence Industry dates back to 1942 and World War Two, when the Royal Ordnance factories supplied the British Army with both weapons and military equipment. Since this time, they have 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. They manufacture in metal, timber and plastic and produce packaging for small, medium and large caliber ammunition.  

Astor operates a 200,000ft2 factory with five production lines capable of producing over 150,000 ammunition boxes every month. In addition, the new 32,000m2 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 ensuring that all products are manufactured and tested in accordance with the required military specification.   

Their superior knowledge of the quality procedures required by the Defence Industry, both for Europe and the USA, means that their products will have passed rigorous testing procedures and strict quality protocols, all carried out in-house.  Furthermore, the company holds stock of their main product lines enabling them 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 ethos. It is their care and attention to detail that enable them to stand out from other manufacturers and be the sole source supplier of metal ammunition boxes to the British Army and a prime supplier to NATO forces and the US Government plus many of the world’s major munitions manufacturers. Over the next few months, Astor Defence will be undertaking various further First Article Acceptance Tests with representatives of the US Army and other prime American ammunition manufacturers who will be visiting the new UK facility. Astor has already secured orders for 60 and 81mm mortar containers with further orders in the pipeline. 

Henry Turnbull  

Managing Director  

Astor Defence Ltd  

E-mail: henry@astordefence.com 

Links: 

Website: https://astordefence.com/