$20 million innovation grants take defence spend above $300 billion

The federal government is trumpeting forward spending commitment’s for defence passing the $300 billion mark, following the release of the Defence Innovation Hub’s latest contracts.

While there are question marks over the future affordability of this outlay, it represents a massive push to replace a huge range of defence equipment since the coalition came to office.

The innovation hub today announced 10 new contracts worth almost $20 million, taking the total number of contracts signed by the Hub to over 150.

Defence industry minister Melissa Price said the milestone supported Australian ingenuity and know-how.

Price said: “The Defence Innovation Hub’s investment strategy has played a transformative role for Australia’s small-to-medium businesses and the way in which they innovate and support Defence requirements.

“It is rewarding to have Australian businesses continue their partnership with the Hub and mature their innovations towards delivering the future capabilities that Defence needs.”

Nine of the 10 new contracts are follow on contracts to earlier hub grants.

“I am particularly delighted to announce a $2.7 million contract with Western Australia’s Mission Systems Australia to further develop a networked underwater acoustic sensor for Navy,” Minister Price said.

“This is the largest Hub contract awarded to a WA company to date.”

Contracts announced today under the latest round of Defence Innovation Hub funding are:

• RingIR, $3.9 million, to develop a portable device capable of promptly identifying dangerous chemicals and explosives
• Anywise Consulting, $3.1 million, to continue to develop an integrated software and device system to monitor the wear and tear of bridges in deployed environments
• Mission Systems Australia, $2.7 million, to develop a networked underwater acoustic sensor
• Mincham Aviation, $2.2 million, to continue to develop a tube-launched aerial delivery system for rapid and accurate payload delivery in maritime environments
• TAE Gas Turbines, $2.2 million, to develop a single-stage engine filter for the existing fleet of Abrams tanks for improved performance and efficiency
• Marathon Targets, $1.6 million, to continue to develop an unmanned, realistic and self-propelled vehicle target to support Australian Defence Force training (pictured)
• Mediaware International, $1.6 million, to develop an information processing system that integrates data to present a single visualisation for accelerated decision making
• Sentient Vision, $1.3 million, to develop an enhanced visual detection system for use in reduced visibility conditions to detect and classify objects of interest
• BAE Systems Australia, $1.1 million, to develop a software-based decision support system to extract tactically useful information from maritime environments and facilitate accelerated decision making
• And Defendtex Research Labs, $263,000, to develop a gas to disable a combustion engine, removing the need for explosives or tank traps.

Industry and research organisations can submit innovation proposals here.

Picture: Marathon Targets autonomous robotic targets

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