Land Forces 2026: Opportunities for Defence Companies Entering Australia, New Zealand and Europe
Insights from Perth on defence industry growth, international market entry and the importance of local partnerships.
Rob Maszkowski
10/12/20266 min read
In short: Land Forces 2026 highlighted significant opportunities for defence companies looking to enter Australia and New Zealand, as well as opportunities for international collaboration with Poland. Western Australia's growing defence industry is creating opportunities for local and overseas suppliers, while New Zealand companies have a particular advantage under trans-Tasman industry arrangements. In Europe, companies need to navigate distinct national defence markets. Across all these markets, understanding procurement, developing strong industry relationships and demonstrating local commitment are essential.
I attended Land Forces 2026 in Perth in October, alongside nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies from 31 countries.
The range of innovation was impressive, from established international defence contractors to smaller businesses developing new technologies and applications.
What interested me most were the opportunities for companies wanting to enter new defence markets, and the work required to turn those opportunities into business.
Having worked with defence prime contractors in New Zealand and Australia, including on maritime sustainment and Royal Australian Navy contract bids, I've seen the importance of understanding customer requirements and demonstrating the ability to deliver.
Entering a new market adds another challenge. Companies need to understand the local industry, procurement processes and relationships that influence how business gets done.
Several experiences at Land Forces reinforced that point.
Western Australia's expanding defence industry
Western Australia has ambitious plans for its defence industry. The state government expects defence to become its second-largest industry after mining.
A major driver is the Australian Government's initial A$12 billion funding commitment, announced in September 2025, towards establishing the Henderson Defence Precinct.
The precinct will support naval shipbuilding, maintenance and sustainment, including capabilities associated with Australia's AUKUS commitments.
The investment also creates opportunities beyond the major shipbuilders.
Engineering firms, advanced manufacturers, technology businesses and specialist service providers could all have a role in supporting the industry and its supply chains.
For overseas companies considering Australia, Western Australia is a market worth investigating.
There are opportunities to supply defence organisations directly, but also to work through established prime contractors and their suppliers.
The challenge is identifying where your capabilities fit, who the relevant industry participants are and what local presence or support you will need.
Source: Australian Government - Henderson Defence Precinct funding
Why New Zealand defence companies have an advantage in Australia
New Zealand companies have an important advantage when pursuing Australian defence opportunities.
Under the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations arrangements, qualifying New Zealand industry can be recognised as Australian industry for Australian Industry Capability purposes.
Australia's Defence Industry Development Strategy also recognises New Zealand's place within the broader trans-Tasman defence industrial base.
This can give New Zealand businesses a stronger starting position than many other international suppliers, although individual procurement and industry participation requirements still apply.
It was encouraging to see several New Zealand companies exhibiting under the New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) pavilion at Land Forces.
However, preferential treatment under industry arrangements does not guarantee commercial success.
New Zealand companies still need to identify suitable opportunities, establish relationships with prospective customers and prime contractors, and demonstrate that they can meet delivery and support requirements.
For businesses considering Western Australia, having reliable local contacts and a clear plan for developing those relationships can make a significant difference.
Source: Australian Defence Industry Development Strategy
Entering the Australian and New Zealand defence markets
Australia and New Zealand are closely connected defence markets, but they operate through different procurement systems, institutions and industry arrangements.
International companies should approach each market separately rather than assuming that a strategy developed for one will work equally well in the other.
The starting point is understanding how prospective customers buy, where your capabilities fit and what they expect from local suppliers.
In my view, defence customers in both countries want confidence that suppliers are committed to the market and can contribute to local defence capability.
That may involve local partnerships, maintenance and technical support, training, or the development of local industry skills and capacity.
Where to find defence procurement opportunities
Australia: Australian Government procurement, defence industry programmes and prime contractor supply chains. Starting point: review AusTender, identify relevant defence programmes and investigate local industry partners.
New Zealand: NZDF and Ministry of Defence procurement, future capability requirements and prime contractor opportunities. Starting point: review GETS, future procurement information and potential New Zealand partners.
Poland: National defence priorities, procurement requirements and local industry partnerships. Starting point: identify relevant programmes, understand local requirements and establish suitable industry relationships.
Wider European Union: National procurement markets alongside EU-supported defence programmes. Starting point: prioritise target countries and develop individual market entry plans.
In Australia, government procurement opportunities are published through AusTender.
In New Zealand, government tenders are published through the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS).
The New Zealand Defence Force also publishes indicative information about procurements it may consider over the following 12 to 18 months.
The July 2026 NZDF indicative procurement list provides useful early information, although these are prospective opportunities rather than confirmed tenders.
The New Zealand Ministry of Defence also provides information about working with defence, including supply opportunities through prime contractors.
Importantly, working through prime contractors is a potential route into both the Australian and New Zealand defence markets.
For international suppliers, I would recommend five initial steps:
Understand the market. Identify the relevant defence customers, procurement processes and industry requirements.
Identify suitable opportunities. Look at future capability requirements as well as current tenders.
Develop local relationships. Identify relevant industry organisations, potential partners and prime contractors.
Prepare a local capability plan. Determine how you will provide support, maintenance or other locally delivered services.
Establish a practical market entry strategy. Decide how you will approach customers, develop partnerships and build a sustainable presence.
Doing this groundwork early improves the quality of decisions about where to invest time and resources.
Innovation and industry collaboration in Western Australia
Another highlight of my visit was spending time at the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct (AARP) in Neerabup, north of Perth.
The precinct provides testing and development facilities for robotics, autonomous systems and remote operations, with applications across defence and several other industries.
I was impressed by the energy around the facility and the enthusiasm of its management team, who are actively looking to attract businesses to the precinct.
With co-working facilities, offices and dedicated testing areas, it provides an environment where companies can develop technologies and establish industry connections.
The visit reinforced the opportunities emerging around Western Australia's investment in innovation and industrial capability.
For companies developing defence or dual-use technologies, facilities like AARP could provide a useful route to testing applications, meeting potential collaborators and establishing a local presence.
Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct
Why Europe requires country-specific defence market entry strategies
One of the important lessons I took from another Land Forces session was that Europe should not be approached as a single defence market.
The European Union has 27 member states, each with its own defence priorities, institutions, industry relationships and national requirements.
Although EU initiatives are encouraging greater cooperation and joint procurement, national differences remain significant.
A company considering European expansion can develop an overall regional strategy, but it will still need a market entry plan tailored to each country it intends to pursue.
For example, the procurement environment, industry participants and local capability expectations in Poland may differ considerably from those in Germany, France or Italy.
There are also EU-level initiatives and funding programmes with their own participation requirements. Eligibility for a particular programme should not be confused with general access to a country's defence market.
For companies based outside Europe, this makes market selection particularly important.
Before committing resources, businesses should determine which national markets best match their capabilities, what opportunities exist and which local relationships they need to establish.
Source: Council of the European Union - Common defence procurement
Poland: building the partnerships needed for market entry
Poland was another important focus during Land Forces.
I attended the Polish-Australian Defence Collaboration Dialogue, where participants included Lawrence Meredith, the European Union's Ambassador to Australia, and Colonel Robert Tkaczyk, Poland's Defence Attaché to Australia.
There was also a strong turnout from the Polish business community.
The discussions reinforced the importance of cooperation between countries and strong relationships between their respective defence industries.
For companies considering the Polish market, local partnerships and a genuine commitment to developing industry relationships are especially important.
Before approaching Poland, I would want to understand three things:
Where does the company's capability fit with Poland's defence priorities?
Which Polish businesses could become credible industry or delivery partners?
How could the company contribute to local capability and provide ongoing support?
Answering these questions requires market knowledge and connections that can be difficult to develop from overseas.
This is where trusted relationships on the ground can make a real difference.
The same principle applies elsewhere in Europe, although the relevant organisations, market conditions and potential partners will vary by country.
How Defence Ready can help
The opportunities and conversations at Land Forces reinforced the purpose behind Defence Ready.
Companies with valuable defence and dual-use capabilities can face significant challenges when entering an unfamiliar market. Understanding procurement requirements, identifying suitable opportunities and developing trusted local relationships all take time.
Defence Ready helps businesses bridge those gaps through market knowledge, introductions, local representation and practical market entry support.
Our areas of focus include:
Australia and New Zealand
Helping international defence and space companies understand market requirements, identify opportunities, develop industry relationships and establish a credible local presence.
Western Australia
Helping New Zealand businesses explore opportunities arising from defence industry growth, including connections with local industry, potential partners and prime contractors.
Poland and Europe
Helping businesses explore opportunities in Poland through local market knowledge, industry relationships and potential partnerships, while recognising that expansion into other European countries requires separate market-specific approaches.
If you're considering entering the Australian, New Zealand or Polish defence market, or exploring opportunities in Western Australia's growing defence industry, I'd be happy to discuss what you're looking to achieve.
Contact Defence Ready to discuss your market entry plans.