Rheinmetall Defence has announced a further strengthening of its partnership with Supashock through an agreement to acquire 49 per cent of the South Australian advanced manufacturer.

The partnership will help to drive growth in both companies through the development of new suspension and load-handling technologies that will improve the performance and safety of Rheinmetall’s vehicle product portfolio, Rheinmetall stated on July 17.

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles provided funding to Supashock in May to develop an integrated active suspension system and intelligent load-handling system for the Australian and international markets that will substantially increase the capability and safety of military trucks in demanding on and off-road environments.

“This agreement creates a platform for Supashock to export its advanced suspension technology globally,” said Supashock managing director Oscar Fiorinotto.

“It also opens up a massive opportunity to expand its array of products into military vehicles, where we know we can bring significant solutions across safety, mobility and to the Australian Defence Force.”